The Other Side
by all4jesus84
Summary: Violet soon discovers that the Others have captured Jack, Sawyer and Kate, and the fight for freedom begins.  Will Kate be able to keep her promise and rescue Violet, even while she's held captive?  Continuation of Loss of the Lost and Taken.
1. A New Day

**Chapter One: A New Day**

She first became aware of the cold floor underneath her, as consciousness slowly returned. Her head was swimming, her stomach sick, her body aching and weak. She remembered everything as soon as she woke. Michael's betrayal of leading them to the Others, the dock, Henry Gale, Michael taking off with his son, and Walt yelling something at Kate, something she hadn't heard, but knew he had said "Violet." Everything was still a blur to her, but she knew wherever she was, she had been taken by the Others.

Kate slowly forced herself up into a sitting position, feeling a small pinch on the inside of her elbow, and she sighed angrily to herself when she saw a cottonball taped there. _Why the hell would they want my blood?_ She thought bitterly to herself as she rubbed her eyes, trying to force the dizziness away. That was when she realized, she wasn't alone.

The man hovering over her was a familiar face, only he was missing the beard she had last seen him with on the dock. It was the man who held her at gunpoint the night she had gone up the mountain to demand Violet back. He looked much younger without the disguise.

"Sleep well?" The man asked with raised eyebrows, and a bit of a smirk on his face. Kate only glared at him as she forced herself to stand. She staggered only a little, but the man had noticed.

"Easy Kate, you were drugged, remember?" He asked. Kate only stared at him with threatening eyes. Truth be told, she _didn't_ remember the exact moment when they had drugged her, but she knew it was before they left the dock, because that was the last thing she remembered.

"Where's Violet?" Kate asked, as she swallowed hard. Her throat was parched, she was thirsty, but she refused to appear weak. The man only sighed and stared at her.

"Now you know I can't tell you that." He replied. "But don't worry, she's fine. She's having a good time." He almost laughed at the latter response, as he said it with a sarcastic tone. Kate shook her head.

"You son of a -"

"Easy, easy." The man raised his hand, as well as his voice, but only slightly. "Why don't you take a shower, Kate? It'll make you feel better." Kate looked around and at that moment, realized they were in what appeared to be a locker room of some sort, with stalls for showers. The man, who finally introduced himself as Thom, handed her a towel. She stared at it for a moment, and then glared at him again.

"I'm not showering in front of you." She spat. Thom laughed as Kate shook from head to toe with the fear that was beginning to overtake her.

"Relax Kate, you ain't my type." He said with a grin, as he turned and left the room, locking the door behind him. Kate stared at the closed door for a moment and turned to stare at the shower stall. Maybe the cool water would make her feel a little better, she was sweating from head to toe. Had Violet been drugged with the same stuff?

As soon as Kate had taken off her clothes and stepped into the shower, she opened her mouth and drank the sprinkling water graciously, coughing from drinking too much. The water was disgusting, but it was cold, and her throat was so dry, she could care less what it tasted like, but even still, she found herself spitting it out once she had enough.

She showered quickly, unsure of what to expect as she wrapped her towel tightly around herself, in case Thom had come back in the room. She realized right away that her clothes were gone. Thom _had_ been in here, she shuddered at the thought.

"Where are my clothes?" She yelled nervously as she looked around. That was when she saw a brand new dress hanging by the lockers, with a sign on it that read 'wear this.' Kate swallowed as she held up the dress. Why did they want her to wear it?

Having no other choice but to put it on, she did, amazed at how precisely it fit her. How could they have possibly known her exact size? It scared her to think about it. Why were they treating her so well? Why did they let her have a shower, and a new dress? What was their plan? Had they treated Violet the same way?

"Finished?" Thom's gruff voice broke the silence as Kate turned and crossed her arms, feeling uncomfortable in the dress under the older man's gazing eyes. Kate was silent.

"He's waiting for you." Thom said simply. Kate narrowed her eyes.

"_Who's_ waiting for me?" She asked. "Where the hell is Violet? And Jack and Sawyer? What have you done with them?" She raised her voice. Thom only shook his head.

"You're almost as stubborn as the kid. I can see where she must have gotten it from." He said. Kate glared at him, angered by his lack of answers. She had no choice but to follow the man who took hold of her arm, and let her out of the room into the bright sunlight.

* * *

Violet was asleep. It was early in the morning when Kate had first woken up in the locker room under the eyes of Thom. Violet was sound asleep, plagued by the usual dreams of being rescued, of seeing Walt again, and of being reunited with Kate and Jack at long last. But as her eyes slowly opened, taking in the surroundings of her room, her cell where she had been kept for weeks now, she sighed to herself, telling herself it was only a dream, once again.

She sat up on her bed and stretched, seeing nothing but the white walls surrounding her, the camera watching her from the corner of the room, and the thick glass wall separating her from the room where she had first met Juliet.

Violet sighed, pulling out the book Juliet had left for her the day before. Violet was beginning to build up a collection of novels, ever since the first time Juliet brought her "Carrie" by Stephen King. At first, Violet had hated reading them, but the boredom of being trapped in that room every single day got to her. Until Jack and Kate came to rescue her, she had to do something to keep her occupied.

_That is, if they're coming._ Violet couldn't help but wonder why Ben had gone to their camp. What was their plan? Did it involve Violet somehow? Why had she been taken in the first place? These questions plagued her day after day, with no answers to satisfy her. Juliet wouldn't answer her, nobody would. She was left to wonder, and hope they were still out there, looking for her, not giving up.

Violet leaned back against her pillows, unable to focus on the words of the book in front of her. She couldn't stop thinking about what had happened the day before. The memories were still so fresh in her mind...

* * *

_"Violet, don't move." She heard Juliet's voice warn from behind her. Violet stopped breathing as she remained where she was, rooted on the stool, arms still grasping the interior of the air duct she had been trying to escape through. She managed to crane her neck to see Juliet standing at the entrance of the room, aiming a strange device at her. Violet recognized it immediately. It was the device they had used to shot a tranquilizer dart into her neck the night they took her from her camp. Her heart started pounding._

_"Juliet, please don't." Violet pleaded, once she was able to find her voice. Juliet only stared at her, her eyes cold, yet sympathetic. It was hard to tell, but she didn't lower her weapon._

_"I want you to get down from there right now." Juliet said seriously as Violet complied. She knew she was in for it now; Ben had warned her, and he had been serious. Still, Violet was terrified to find out what consequences Ben was talking about._

_Violet waited as Juliet stared at her for a moment, until she finally put her device back in her pocket. Violet breathed out slowly._

_"Come here, and sit down for a minute." Juliet said, her voice laced with a cool serenity. Violet wanted nothing more than to stay where she was, afraid of what was going to happen now, but she also feared disobedience. She was already in enough trouble._

_She crossed the room to where Juliet was motioning, and Violet hesitantly sat on the bench in front of Juliet, never meeting her piercing blue eyes. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach; what if Ben's consequences meant _killing _her? She felt like she were going to faint._

_Juliet stood there for a moment, and then turned to close the door behind her. Violet watched her, her heart thrashing wildly against her chest. She averted her eyes as Juliet turned and moved toward her, lowering herself to sit on the bench beside her. Strange, she didn't seem angry at all._

_"Calm down Violet, I'm not going to hurt you." She said in a quiet whisper. Violet looked up in surprise - why was she whispering? _

_"W-what?" Violet asked, looking around again for cameras._

_"I already told you there were no cameras in this room," Juliet sighed, "So, here's the deal. I'm going to pretend like this never happened, okay? I'm not going to say anything to Ben, or anybody else, but Violet, you have to promise me you won't try this again. Ben _is _serious when he says there will be consequences. Next time, it might not be me who catches you. Next time, you might not be so lucky that there aren't any cameras watching you." Violet stared at her in incredulously. Juliet looked nervous, as she kept peering back at the closed door. Violet shook her head._

_"Why? Why would you do that for me?" She paused. Juliet stared at her and for the first time since Violet had been here, she saw something in Juliet she hadn't seen before. Emotion - Juliet looked like she had tears in her eyes._

_"I understand how much you want to leave, Violet. I feel your pain, more than you can understand right now. I know you miss Kate, and Jack, and your life with them. I know you're scared, and I know you want nothing more than to get out of here. I know you think I'm just one of them, but it's complicated, Violet. You just have to trust me - as much as you don't want to do that, I'm asking you to. I don't want to see you hurt, and I know Ben. If he knew you tried to escape again, the consequences really _wouldn't _be pleasant for you." Juliet paused, staring at Violet with such fierce emotion, "I don't want to see that happen to you." _

* * *

Violet shuddered at the racing thoughts through her mind. Juliet had been right. If it had been anybody else who had entered the locker room to find Violet trying to escape through the ventilation system, she more than likely would have been shot with that tranquilizer device, and who knew? She could even be _dead_ right now.

But the complication of it all troubled her a great deal. Why would Juliet risk herself like that, just to protect Violet from whatever Ben meant by consequences? What did she have to gain by protecting Violet? Violet wasn't sure, but what she was sure of, was the sense of fear and nervousness she got from Juliet when she told her she would keep the whole thing quiet. Violet couldn't understand, and she couldn't make any sense of it. She wanted nothing more than to be able to talk to Juliet about it, ask her questions that maybe Juliet would only answer if they weren't being watched. Maybe Juliet wasn't as bad as Violet thought. But then she remembered the night on the beach. She had been there, she was _sure_ of it. She had been the one to shoot Violet with the tranquilizer, while Kate watched in horror. She had played an important part in the capture of Violet. Violet was torn and confused, and tried to force herself not to think about it. Juliet wouldn't tell her anything.

The heavy steel door that locked Violet inside her cell suddenly creaked and Violet recognized the sound, looking up to see Juliet entering her room with a tray of food. Violet watched her as Juliet silently placed the tray down on Violet's table. Juliet was quiet when she turned to face Violet. She looked tired, as though she hadn't slept.

"Good morning, Violet." Juliet said quietly as she crossed the room to sit on Violet's bed. Violet only nodded. Juliet noticed Violet's finger marking her place in the book Juliet gave her.

"What do you think of it?" She asked casually as she gestured toward the book. Violet shrugged.

"It's okay, I guess." She replied. She wasn't interested in talking about _The Lord of the Flies_, what she really wanted to talk about was what had happened the day before. But it was difficult, with the camera rotating through the room. Juliet noticed Violet staring at the camera.

"What's wrong?" She asked the girl. Violet sighed. Unsure of how to ask the question without getting herself, or Juliet into trouble, she grabbed hold of her notebook, and began to scribble down a sentence. Juliet read it as Violet was writing it.

_Why did you help me? _She wrote. Juliet sighed, staring at the camera, and then back at Violet with those calming blue eyes, and she shook her head. Violet took it to mean Juliet couldn't say anything, but Juliet surprised her when she leaned in a little, and lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper.

"I told you yesterday, Violet. These other people don't care. If they catch you escaping, they won't care that you're just a kid, they _will _hurt you. That much I'm sure of. I am doing everything in my power to keep you as safe as I can, Violet. Believe it or not, I do _not_ want to see you get hurt." She whispered quietly, sitting up again, and staring at Violet with reassuring eyes. Violet almost smiled, but she didn't. As confused as she still was, Juliet had already placed herself apart from the rest of these people by her concern for Violet's well-being. Violet opened her mouth to ask, but Juliet's glance was enough warning to keep her mouth shut. That was that. There would be no other chance to ask Juliet the questions she wanted to ask. Who she was, why she was risking everything, what her role in this whole operation was. They would all be unanswered, because Juliet couldn't tell her anything. There was nothing Violet could do, but keep the secret of yesterday to herself, and continue to wonder why.


	2. Prisoners

**Chapter Two: Prisoners**

He heard nothing, only the a faint buzzing sound that was still ringing against his own skull. He felt as though his throat were on fire; he knew he was dehydrated, he was a doctor after all.

Jack forced himself to sit up, and felt a stabbing pain in his back. He realized he had been lying on a steel table. He groaned to himself as he tried to steady his vision, to focus on his surroundings.

The first thing he noticed was that he was alone in this strange place. He remembered everything that had happened, and immediately wondered what they had done with Kate, and even Sawyer. Was Violet close by? Thinking about the unanswered questions only made his headache worse.

Jack saw that he was in a very small room with low lighting, concrete walls, chains hanging from the ceiling and, the strangest thing of all, a glass wall closing him in. He peered around and saw a red light flashing in the corner of this room, and realized it was a camera. Anger consumed him, as he tried to think of a way to get out of here, wherever 'here' was.

He slowly felt his strength returning to him, supressing his desperation for some water, and he forced himself to think of Violet, whom he had been searching for since she had been taken. He thought of Kate, and even Sawyer. He _had_ to get them out. _That_ was his responsibility now, he _knew_ it.

He staggered over to the door, pulling on its handle and wasn't shocked to find it locked. The Others had put him here, they would be stupid to keep the door unlocked.

He looked up at the chains hovering from the ceiling and jumped up on top of the table. He staggered for a moment, trying to control the momentary vertigo, and he grabbed hold of one of the chains. He started yanking on them hard, thinking perhaps if he pulled hard enough, something would give above him, and he could climb his way out. He wasn't sure how much sense it actually made, but the door was locked. There was nowhere else to go.

Anger motivated him to pull harder and harder. Anger, and maybe a bit of fear, but he supressed those feelings. He would _not_ allow himself to be afraid, that would make him vulnerable. He would never get out if he allowed himself to be vulnerable.

"Hello Jack." The voice startled him, coming from nowhere. He turned in every direction to find the source, and finally saw a woman entering the room beyond the glass. She had longer blonde hair, and she was smiling a little. Jack didn't answer her, he just stared at her. The woman came in a little further and sat herself down on the table in the middle of the room.

"My name's Juliet," The woman said, "Why don't you come down from there?" Jack turned and stared at her through the glass, his gaze fierce and stubborn.

"Where are my friends?" He demanded in a loud voice, still hanging on to one of the chains. Juliet smiled sympathetically.

"I can't tell you right now, Jack, but I can tell you that both Sawyer and Kate are fine." She replied. Jack glared at her before he asked the next question.

"Where's Violet?" He demanded, feeling his anger bubbling in his veins. Juliet stared at him.

"Jack, I-"

"You tell me where she is, dammit! You took her, and I _know_ she's here!" He screamed fiercely, but Juliet never flinched. She only sighed.

"Jack, I know you care about her. She cares about you too, and I can give you my _word_ that she is okay." She replied. Jack stopped, but only for a moment. _She cares about you too._ Had Violet confided this to Juliet?

"Your word means _nothing_ to me! I won't believe it until I've seen her with my own eyes!" He yelled, and continued to yank on the chain again, pulling firmly as Juliet watched patiently.

* * *

Sawyer paced endlessly and impatiently in the confines of the small cage they had placed him in. His guess was that this cage had once been used for animals, because of the strange contraption inside that released food once you figured out how the machine worked. He held the raw fish biscuit that he had worked hard for, angry and embarrassed, but he held on to it anyway; who knew if these people were actually going to feed him?

His head was still pounding, but at least the strange food machine had released some water into a trough, so he no longer felt thirsty. He hadn't seen a single body since he woke up, nearly an hour or so ago, he could only speculate as to where Kate and Jack had been taken.

And then there was the kid - Sawyer couldn't help but wonder if Violet was being kept in a cage, much like this one, under the sweltering sun, living on fish biscuits.

Finally, as boredom started to consume him, he saw people emerging from the bushes. He turned in shock, when he saw the man he called Mr. Friendly leading a fearful-looking Kate toward the cages where Sawyer was being kept. As soon as Kate spotted Sawyer, she nearly burst into tears, but he gave her a reassuring smile, and she could only nod her head.

Thom pushed Kate into the cage right across from Sawyer, said a few things to her, and then locked her in. Thom took off, and as soon as he was sure they were alone, Sawyer looked at Kate, who was struggling to keep herself together.

"You okay Freckles?" Sawyer asked in a quiet voice. Kate, eyes misting with tears, struggled as she nodded.

"What happened?" He wanted to know. Kate swallowed the lump in her throat, and began to tell him about her morning. How they had let her take a shower, gave her a new dress, took her outside to meet Henry Gale, whom she learned was actually Benjamin Linus, and he had offered her breakfast.

"He told me he wanted me to hold on to some good memories - the dress, the shower, the breakfast - because the next two weeks were going to be...unpleasant." She stifled back her own tears as she recalled the conversation that had taken place only moments ago. Sawyer could feel himself getting angry, but Kate wasn't finished.

"They aren't telling me anything about Violet either." That was when her first tear trickled down her face. Sawyer sighed.

"Hey Freckles, I'm gonna do whatever I can to help you get the kid back, but hell, first we gotta get out of these rat traps." He paused, seeing how upset Kate was, and feeling for her, deeply. Something he wasn't used to. "It's gonna be okay, Freckles." He offered a winning smile, and she couldn't help but laugh a little. That was better, Sawyer thought. He couldn't stand it when she was hurt.

* * *

Jack walked back and forth inside his glass cell, feeling his head swimming with dizziness, and his mouth parched from the lack of water. He was a doctor, he knew he was dehydrated, but he had already denied Juliet's attempt to bring him food and water. She had left shortly afterward, leaving him alone to mull over everything that had happened.

The biggest blow for him was Michael's betrayal. Jack felt stupid for not seeing it sooner; Michael had spent time with the Others, coming back with a gung ho attitude to get his son back, and choosing who_ he_ wanted for his team. _The Others told him who to bring back._ Jack guessed, which made his anger all the more difficult to repress. Now Michael was on his way back to the world with his son, leaving everyone else to suffer.

Jack finally sat down on the steel table, hoping his throbbing head would ease up a little, when he heard the familiar sound of that heavy steel door on the other side of the glass open with a ear piercing groan. Jack saw Juliet entering with a plate of fruit, and a water bottle, and that strange smile on her face.

"Did you think about my offer, Jack?" She asked. "You really need to eat something, Jack. And drink something. Otherwise you'll start to hallucinate, and that's pretty serious." Jack knew she was right, but the last thing he wanted to do was give in.

"All you have to do, Jack, is sit up with your back against that wall and let me leave this food for you. You aren't losing anything by taking this food." Juliet added, staring at the food and then back at Jack.

Jack hesitated greatly, feeling weak by admitting to this woman he was hungry, and thirsty too. But he complied, walking over to the other side of the room, sitting down against the wall, never looking up. Juliet breathed out.

"Thank you Jack." She walked out of the room she was in, and that was when it hit Jack. An idea, an impulsive plan. He watched the door with great anticipation, waiting for the moment when Juliet would enter the room, unarmed, and helpless.

* * *

Half an hour later, Violet was lying on her bed, reaching into her mind for some kind of connection, the feeling she had always had. The feeling that had been severed just the day before. The feeling of Walt.

Violet had never realized before just how connected she felt to the boy. She remembered the day they had met on the beach, on the day the plane had crashed, shortly after Violet had discovered her sister's dead body. Walt and she had shaken hands, and the surge of energy she felt in that moment was something that both scared, and excited her, and she had still never been able to fully understand or explain it to herself. But ever since, she and Walt had been close, and soon, Violet had discovered she had many of the same feelings Walt had, about danger, or even his presence. It had gotten stronger once she and Walt had been taken, her knowing he was there before she even saw him. Now, that connection had been severed, cut, destroyed. She couldn't feel Walt anywhere, that sense of security that had helped her feel hopeful was now gone.

Violet had last seen Walt the previous day, as he was dragged away by a man. Juliet had had to hold Violet back, as Walt was taken away. It was then that Juliet confided in Violet that she would never see Walt again, but gave no reason as to why. Just that he was safe, and wasn't going to be killed. No matter how many times Violet begged, or asked, Juliet wouldn't tell her where Walt was, and it hurt Violet to no end. She knew he was no longer here, she would have felt him. Wherever he was, he was long gone, and she felt as though Juliet might be right: that she really wouldn't see Walt again.

The thought sickened her. Her and Walt had a connection, a connection she couldn't explain, but guessed had to do with the deaths of their mothers. It was the only thing in common the two really had. How could a boy and a girl, four years apart, become such close friends in only a day? With a connection so deep neither child could explain, or make sense of it? Violet couldn't puzzle it out, and now there was nobody to talk to about it. Walt was gone, and she had no plans on telling Juliet; she had already asked her a lot of questions about Walt. Violet didn't want to talk about Walt with her. She wanted to talk to Walt himself. But that was no longer possible.

Violet sighed, feeling tears stinging at her eyes as she tried not to think about Walt, but it was becoming difficult. She swallowed hard, wiping her wet eyes on her arm when she heard the heavy door being pushed open. Violet sat up on her bed, trying to pretend as though nothing was wrong, as she heard Juliet coming into the room. Violet stole a quick glance to see Juliet placing a tray down on her table.

But something was wrong.

Juliet was soaking wet from head to toe, her face radiating anger, or fear, or something. She didn't look at Violet once, she just placed the tray down and started to leave.

"Juliet!" Violet called. Juliet hesitated, and finally turned and raised her eyebrows to Violet.

"Yes?" She asked, as patiently as she could. She was shivering, all she wanted to do was change her clothes, but Ben had told her to bring Violet her food first. Juliet knew better than to argue with Ben, no matter how angry she was with him.

"What happened? Why are you wet? Is it raining? Are you alright?" Violet asked, still shocked at the state Juliet was in. Juliet stared at the girl, recalling the horrifying incident she had just encountered with Jack. She could still feel the pain of the jagged piece of plate against her throat, as Jack had dragged her out of his cell, and down the hall, threatening to kill her if she didn't tell him the way out. It wasn't until he demanded she open the door at the end of the corridor that she truly began to panic. She knew what would happen if that door was opened. She tried to tell him, but he wouldn't listen. It only took a moment, as he pushed her away, and forced the forbidden door open.

She closed her eyes, as she recalled the blast of water that had entered the corridor, nearly drowning the two, but Jack had managed to help her shut the door again, in just enough time for Juliet's anger to knock Jack unconscious, and get him back to his cell.

Now she was still soaked, and angry, especially at Ben, who hadn't cared that Juliet's life had been in danger.

Juliet managed a small smile at Violet, though faked.

"I'm fine, Violet." She said, and turned to leave. "Eat your food."

She slammed the door shut behind her, and Violet was left in confusion. What had happened? Something was going on, and whatever it was, Violet had a bad feeling about it.


	3. Broken

**Chapter Three: Broken**

With nothing to do in the solitude of her own room, Violet had nothing else to do but to begin to imagine what was going on outside her cell. Her imagination had come up with many different stories and scenarios of why Juliet had come in soaked from head to toe, of why Ben had gone to the camp, of where Walt could have gone, of Jack and Kate coming to rescue her. Her favourite scenario was the one where Jack and Kate had found the place Violet was being held, and the two of them fought off all of the Others single-handed, with nothing but a couple of guns. She imagined the moment over and over again when Kate and Jack kicked down her door to find Violet waiting for them, ready to go back with them, back to the life she had known.

That fantasy took a back seat today, though. Juliet hadn't been back since she had left dinner for Violet the night before. Now, morning had come, and hadn't brought Violet her breakfast, some strange man did, who only glared at her through angry eyes, and left without a single word. What was going on? Juliet had definitely not been caught in a downpour, she wouldn't have been upset about that. Violet was sure Juliet looked scared, intimidated, or nervous about something. Violet wasn't getting any answers, and it was beginning to frustrate her. Had Juliet not come this morning because she knew Violet would ask questions? Would Juliet be coming back at all, or was that strange man going to continue coming back? Strange as it sounded, Violet wanted Juliet back. If she had to be a prisoner with the Others, she at least wanted Juliet closeby, she at least seemed to care.

Violet sighed, as she turned the pages of her journal, which she had recently begun writing down her thoughts and speculations in. No feelings, just ideas of what could be happening, theories, hypotheses. She had no way of testing them, or asking about them, because Juliet never gave her any answers. Her list of questions at the back of her journal was growing longer by the hour, though. Was Walt really safe? Where did he go? Why did they take him in the first place? Why did they take _Violet_ in the first place? Was Kate, and Jack, and the rest of them safe? Why did Ben go to their camp? Was Ben back yet? What was Kate and Jack doing at this very moment? Why was Juliet soaked from head to toe? Why didn't she bring her breakfast? Why did Juliet keep her escape the other day a secret? These were the questions Violet could only speculate theories from, but had no concrete evidence to suggest any of her ideas were true, or false. She tried to imagine Walt was safe somewhere, on his way back home maybe, enjoying the sun on his face as a rescue boat, or a plane, took him home. Or maybe he was still on the island, but back at their camp, reunited with his dad, happy once again, with Vincent running around. Maybe Walt was helping Kate and Jack find Violet. Maybe Walt would know where to lead them. Maybe Ben had only gone to the camp to spy. Maybe he didn't hurt anybody. Maybe Juliet had fallen in the ocean, that would explain why she was wet and upset.

Violet hated the 'maybe's' and the uncertainty of her life. Her _Lord of the Flies_ book was finished, and there was nothing else to do, but let her mind wander.

She forced herself to remember the good times she had had with Walt, with Kate, and with Jack, before the Others had ever entered their life.

* * *

_"What are you doing?" Walt asked curiously as he looked out at the body of water. Violet shook her head, unsure._

_"I don't know. I'm just being stupid, I guess. My…sister and I used to do this all the time when we were in Sydney. We lived near a beach. She used to say that whenever the waves rolled in, it was mom sending us a hug. Just like the waves surrounded our ankles, mom's arms would surround us in a hug." She looked down at the water, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Walt only stood still for a moment, as if thinking about what Violet had said and he looked out toward the ocean._

_He bent down and untied his shoes quickly and stood next to Violet, letting the water run over his ankles as well. Violet looked over at him, and watched as a small smile formed on Walt's face, and he looked out at the water._

_"Hi mom." He said quietly, and Violet didn't feel so silly anymore, realizing that Walt just lost his mother too. She smiled and looked out at the ocean as well._

_"Hi mom." She repeated, and she paused, feeling herself growing emotional again, but safe, because Walt was there. "Hi…Katie."_

_The two stood quietly, letting the water surround them, and sharing more in the silence than with any words spoken._

* * *

_Violet groaned as she opened her eyes hours later. She looked up and saw the sun had gone down. It was nighttime; how long had she been asleep?_

_She turned her head and as her vision adjusted to the dark, she saw Kate sitting next to her, staring off at nothing in particular. She looked sad, and when Violet stirred a little, Kate turned to see Violet waking up. Kate smiled a little._

_"Hey." She said, as she grabbed a fresh bottle of water. "Do you want something to drink?" Violet stared at her incredulously, shaking her head._

_"I don't think so." She was feeling a little skeptical. Kate had to laugh._

_"It's not drugged, I promise." She said, as she gave the bottle to Violet, who looked at it carefully. Kate still felt guilty about what she had done, but as she looked at Violet, who already looked a lot better._

_"Are you feeling any better?" Kate asked. Violet rolled her eyes, but she did feel a lot better. She paused, not wanting to tell Kate she was feeling better._ She drugged me for goodness sake_. She sighed, and finally nodded. Kate smiled._

_"You shouldn't have drugged me." Violet said, still feeling groggy. Kate nodded._

_"Maybe not, but I had to do something." She said quietly, as Violet stifled a yawn. "You're still tired, aren't you?" Violet nodded._

_"How many pills did you give me, exactly?" She asked, as her eyelids began to flutter. Kate shrugged._

_"Why don't you get some sleep?" She asked. "You have a lot of sleep to catch up on." Violet leaned her head back against the pillow, as her eyes began to drift shut. Kate looked away, and before Violet drifted off to sleep, Kate heard a small whisper coming from Violet._

_"Thanks Kate." Violet's breathing became steady once again, and she was asleep before Kate had a chance to respond._

* * *

_"Yeah, well you should take some Tylenol for the fever." Jack seemed to emphasize that last part, Violet thought as he bent down and tapped two pills out of the Tylenol bottle. Violet puckered her brow._

_"Did Kate give that to you?" She asked, still angry that Kate had grabbed the bottle away from her. Jack looked up._

_"Yeah, she did." He replied, as he dropped the two pills in Violet's hand, and handed her a bottle of water. She stared at him, feeling like she would cry. She wanted to ask him for the bottle, but she had a feeling Kate already told him that she had found Violet about to swallow a handful of pills, and if that was the case, Violet didn't stand a chance._

_"Violet, can I ask you a question?" Jack asked as he watched Violet swallow the two pills obediently, taking a gulp of water along with it. Violet didn't answer; she only shrugged, so Jack went on._

_"Look, I know you just lost your sister, and I know how hard it is to lose someone, but you should think really hard about what you're going through. I know the pain is a lot to handle, but do you really want to kill yourself?" Jack asked. Violet felt her stomach dropped, as she was surprised at how blunt Jack was. He was quick to the point; and Violet hadn't expected that._

_"What?" Violet could feel herself shaking. "Wait. Kate told you that didn't she?" Violet felt herself growing angry._

_"Don't get mad at Kate, Violet. She cares about you a lot, but yes, she did tell me that. She said you wanted the gun last night up on the mountain, that you were trying to cut your wrist with a rock, and just now, you were about to swallow a bottle full of pills. Listen Violet, I know the pain is unbearable, but you aren't alone. I know you feel like you are because you lost your sister, but you aren't alone. Like I said, Kate cares about you a lot, and she wants to help you. So do I. I get the impression Walt wouldn't want anything to happen to you either." Jack said as he put the bottle of Tylenol away. Violet didn't even notice, as she thought about Walt and Kate. She hadn't thought about any of that when she was contemplating suicide up on the hill. As she saw Walt's face in her mind, she felt guilty for even wanting to end it all. We have to take care of each other. I don't know why, but we do. He just lost his mom, and I just lost Katie. We have to stick together. And then she thought of Kate. I've been so horrible to her, and all she's been trying to do is help me. Violet felt guilty and she could feel herself growing misty again._

_She looked at Jack as he stared back silently, not saying a word. She didn't know what to say to him. She had realized so much in only a matter of minutes, and didn't know how to express this to him, a man she had only talked to once or twice. She only nodded her head, to show him she understood what he was saying. Jack nodded._

_"Listen, if you need more Tylenol, just come on back here, I'll give you some. We should try to keep that fever down until it goes away on its own." He said as he stood up, offering his hand to help Violet up. Violet took his hand hesitantly as he pulled her up. She stared at him for only a moment and with a small smile of appreciation, walked away from his tent._

* * *

Violet felt tears clouding her eyes as she remembered how much Walt, Jack and Kate had cared for her, and realizing now how grateful she truly was for them. Now Walt was gone, and she didn't know where Jack and Kate were, or even if they were safe.

She leaned against her headboard, with nothing to do but remember those times, hoping there would be more in the future.

* * *

Kate sat down on the dirt ground, tired of standing on her feet, as Sawyer paced endlessly in his cage, trying to find some trick or snag in the mechanisms to get himself out, but so far, he had no luck. Kate rubbed her wrists where the handcuffs had left marks on her wrists earlier when Ben had forced her to put them on over breakfast. They had been sitting there for hours, with no food or water, and Kate was beginning to feel the effects of a lack of both.

The whole morning had been a gigantic blur to her. It seemed that everything had happened so quickly. She could still remember clearly being out in the jungle, determined as ever to find Violet, believing Michael fully that he was bringing them to their camp totally unexpected.

The unfairness and humiliation of the whole setup was beginning to irritate her. If Michael had really been serious about helping bringing them here to save Walt and Violet, instead of being locked in a cage, Kate could have had Violet rescued by now. Kate sighed audibly.

"Freckles, something on your mind?" Sawyer called out, as Kate looked up. She rolled her eyes.

"What do you think?" She asked sarcastically, as she raised an eyebrow. Sawyer had to laugh a little.

"Come on, it ain't that bad, at least the sun's still shining." He pointed out, with his usual grin. Kate shook her head.

"Sorry Sawyer, I'm having a hard time being optimistic right now." She paused. "All I can think about is getting Violet and getting out. But there just doesn't seem to be a way to do that right now."

"Well, I've been around this cage a decent number of times, and I'm not seeing any loopholes, so that seems out of the question. But hey, don't give up Freckles. We might be able to trick 'em or something." Sawyer said. Kate laughed a little.

"If anyone could think of a way to do that, it'd be you." She said. Sawyer smiled a little, and bowed in a mock appreciative thank you.

* * *

Kate stared up at the sky, noticing the sun's different position from the last time she checked. The two of them had been in the cages since Kate had first returned, earlier that morning. As Kate was beginning to feel the sun becoming too hot, she noticed Thom emerging from the bushes ahead, along swith a crew of other goons, all angry looking, and with a task to do. Kate looked at Sawyer for reassurance, and felt better when he didn't look scared at all, just angry.

"Time to go to work!" Thom said with a strange grin on his face, as though it cheered him immensely. He unlocked Kate's cage and pulled her out as another man, named Danny Pickett grabbed Sawyer from his cage as well, more roughly than he should have.

Neither Sawyer or Kate said a word, but Kate could tell Sawyer wanted to, as he struggled to keep his mouth shut. Thom, Pickett and the rest of the men quietly brought Sawyer and Kate out into a clearing, where a bunch of large rocks were scattered randomly, and a bunch of people with rifles were standing guard. Kate felt her heart leap into her throat. _What is going on?_

"I'm gonna lay it out for you!" Pickett said with dagger eyes. "Your job is to remove those there rocks. I'm warning you, you break them rocks, or you get lazy, or you slack off, you get shocked!" Kate's stomach sank. Shocked? The thought of it made her sick to her stomach, but Sawyer shook his head with a little laugh.

"Do you honestly think I'm just gonna do what you say?" Sawyer laughed a little more. Kate shook her head, but he didn't notice. Sawyer just kept on going.

Pickett and Thom stared at him daringly, waiting, watching, as Sawyer continued.

"I wanna know where the kid is." He demanded. Thom and Pickett looked at each other, and then Pickett turned and stared at Sawyer with raised eyebrows.

"What kid?" He asked, as he laughed, knowing full well who he was asking about, but pulling his leg. Sawyer's anger got the better of him as he grabbed hold of Pickett's shirt and pulled him close.

"You know damn straight who I'm talking about! Where is Violet? What did you do to her, you bas-" Sawyer felt a horrible pulse of energy shoot through his body, as he fell to the ground, convulsing in pain. He had been shocked.

Kate watched with wide eyes, as she held her hand over her mouth. Pickett and Thom turned and stared at her. She swallowed hard.

"Now you know I ain't kiddin'." Pickett kicked Sawyer in the side of the ribs and turned back to Kate. "Now, get to work." As Kate hestitantly turned from Sawyer, who was just recovering from the shock, she felt sickened at the thought of Violet, and whether or not they were torturing her the same way.

* * *

"I am telling you the truth, Jack." Ben said through the glass, as he and Jack talked. Jack laughed to himself as he listened to the empty promises Ben was throwing at him. Ben had been there for nearly twenty minutes now, trying to convince him of some unknown task. Jack had been denying it all this time, laughing at the concept of these people actually telling him the _truth._

"Jack I've told you from the start, I'm not a man who breaks my promises." Ben said, for what seemed like the thirtieth time. Jack rolled his eyes, approaching the glass with raised eyebrows.

"When we found you, you _lied _to us! You told us you were someone you weren't! You want me to trust a man like that?" He asked, raising his voice a little, backing away from the glass, beginning to pace in his cell again. Ben watched him, waiting for the right moment to strike.

"I've kept my promises to Violet." He said, and noticed as Jack stopped for a moment at the mention of Violet. Ben continued pressing on this tender spot.

"She's asked me to do things for her, Jack, and I've done them for her. Just ask Violet, Jack. She'll tell you I'm a man of my word." He added. Jack shook his head as he stared at Ben through the transparent glass.

"Yeah, Ben, I'll just ask Violet. But the funny thing is, I haven't seen her since I got here! How am I supposed to know she's even _alive?_" He was shouting again. "Until I see her with my own eyes, _talk_ to her myself, I am not believing a single word you say about her!" Ben watched calmly, his expression never changing as he watched Jack pacing again. Ben sighed.

"I told you Jack, if you agree to do this one thing for us, I'll let you go home." Ben paused. "Isn't that what you want Jack?" Jack shook his head. Of course it was what he wanted. He wanted to go back home since the day he crashed on this island, but he wasn't about to admit that.

"We're on a deserted island, Ben, in case you haven't noticed. We have been trying to survive for weeks! What makes you think I believe you when you say you have a way to get me home? You have no more contact with the outside world than I do!" He shouted, feeling frustrated with Ben's presence, wanting nothing more than for him to leave him in solitude once again. Ben smiled a little, causing Jack to pause.

"You don't think I have contact with the outside world, Jack? You don't think I have a way to get you home? Obviously you don't know me very well." Ben turned to a small television that was in his room, and he put in a tape. Jack watched curiously as Ben cued the tape and pressed play.

Immediately, Jack noticed his favourite baseball team, the Red Sox, playing in the world series game. Jack raised his eyebrows.

"What's this? Some copy of an old game or something?" He asked sarcastically, not seeing the point of this. Ben grinned.

"No Jack. This was recorded an hour ago. Do you see the date on the score board?" He asked. Jack hesitantly scanned the screen until he saw the score board, and his stomach lurched when he saw that Ben was right; this had been recorded today. Ben turned the television off and turned to Jack seriously.

"If I had no contact with the outside world, Jack, I wouldn't have been able to get that tape, now would I?" Jack could not dispute the truth that laid in front of him. He didn't know what to say. He had no comebacks to throw at Ben, no doubts to arise, no comments whatsoever. He only stared at the blank television screen, beginning to believe what Ben was saying was true.

"I'll leave you alone for now Jack. But, I do promise you, if you do what I ask of you, I _will_ take you home." Ben turned from Jack, and left the room, leaving Jack to feel himself torn.

He hated himself for feeling this way, but Jack was beginning to believe Ben would take him home if he cooperated.

But, Jack wondered, what price would he have to pay for it?


	4. Reunion

_Hey everybody who's reading this story, thanks for your reviews :) I just wanted to preface this chapter by saying it's one of my favourites. Ever since I had Violet kidnapped, I've been waiting to write this chapter. (When Kate and Violet finally reunite). So I hope you enjoy :)_

**Chapter Four: Reunion**

Juliet sat in the camera room, rubbing her eyes stressfully, as she tried to stay focused on the two screens that were her responsibility. On one screen, she could see Jack pacing the floor, every now and then shooting a reproachful glare at the camera, as though he were looking _right at_ Juliet. Juliet sighed, amazed at Jack's tough exterior. He _still_ hadn't broken, no matter _how_ many times Ben had tried to convince him he would let him go home. For that, Jack was a stronger person than Juliet.

On the other screen, a young girl laid on her bed, writing something in the journal Juliet had given her. Juliet couldn't help but smile. Jack was nothing but stubborn and reproachful whenever Juliet came to bring him food, or talk to him. True, Violet had been the same way when she first arrived, lipping off at Juliet, and attempting to escape, but now, she was fairly calm. True, she was still very much depressed, and longed to be back with Kate and Jack, and Walt as well, but she no longer acted out. Juliet even thought Violet was beginning to trust her.

Juliet wondered how long it would take for Jack to feel the same way.

She didn't move as the heavy door behind her squeaked open. All her years on this island had taught her to remain cold and hard, especially around Ben, who she knew was standing right behind her.

Ben stared at the two screens, before he spoke.

"Anything I should know about?" He asked casually. Juliet shook her head.

"No." She said simply, staring at the screens without moving.

"Has Violet been giving you any trouble?" Ben asked.

"None." Juliet replied.

"What about Jack?" Juliet sighed.

"He's a little harder to break. There's a big difference between a grown man and a teenage girl, Ben." She said, a little bitterly. It was almost as though Ben blamed _her_ for Jack's stubbornness to cave in.

Ben didn't say anything, but Juliet could feel him glaring at her. She didn't flinch.

"I have a job for you to do." He said. Juliet turned and looked at him.

"What is it?" She asked quietly. Ben smiled a little.

"I want you to bring Violet up to where the rocks are." He paused. "I want her to see Kate." Juliet raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure you want her up there, Ben? Are you sure now is the time?" She asked, feeling a little worried. It seemed as though the plan was moving forward too quickly. Ben smiled.

"Yes, this is the time. This has been part of the plan since the beginning, Juliet. Kate has to see Violet's alright before we can move forward with this." Ben watched for any kind of a reaction in Juliet, but he found none. Only those calm blue eyes staring at him, watching, waiting.

"Make sure you put something over her head so she doesn't see where she's going. I don't want her getting any ideas." Ben said. Juliet nodded, as she stood from her place, heading for the door. Ben turned.

"Oh and Juliet?" He called. Juliet turned and stared at him, waiting for what he was going to say.

"Make sure Violet knows I arranged this meeting." He paused, with a strange, twisted smile. "Because, you know Juliet, I always keep my promises." Juliet stared at him for a moment, internally sickened by this man, as she nodded, and left the camera room.

* * *

Violet was writing nonsense. In her daze of boredom and depression, she could only write random words again and again, in no string of sense. _Escape Walt trapped fear books island death beach Katie mommy home cross the man who ruined everything_. She sighed to herself, wondering about her father, and what he was thinking at this very moment. Had he heard about Oceanic Flight 815? Had he heard that the plane had crashed? Had he wondered to himself if Katie and Violet were dead? Did he even _care?_

Violet sighed to herself. _Of course he doesn't care. He left us before I was even _born!_ How could he care?_ Violet continued to scribble down nasty things about the man who called himself her father, but in her eyes, he was just a stranger, and the man responsible for his sister's death.

She heard the door open, and she closed her journal quickly. Violet breathed out slowly, trying to release the anger she had just felt, and she forced herself to forget about her father, as Juliet came into the room. She wasn't carrying food, or water, so Violet couldn't help but wonder why she was here.

Juliet crossed the room and noticed Violet seemed upset.

"Are you okay?" Juliet asked in a caring voice. Violet realized she wasn't the greatest at masking her emotions, but she nodded with a bit of a shrug. Juliet managed a small smile. Violet noticed Juliet was holding some kind of sack, or something. She disregarded it, though, as Juliet sat down on Violet's bed. Violet was confused; lately Juliet hadn't come unless it was to bring food or water. She had said she was busy with other things, and couldn't always make it down to peek in like she used to. So why now had she mysteriously appeared with no apparent reason. Violet soon found out there was more going on than she thought.

"I need you to come with me, Violet." She said. Violet puckered her brow, feeling her heart leap into her throat. She had a strange feeling about this, wondering if it was the same kind of feelings Walt would get.

"Why?" Violet asked, feeling confused. "Am I going for a shower or something?" That had been the only other time Violet had left this cell, except for that one time she tried to escape. Violet already knew before Juliet shook her head that it was more than that.

"No, no shower. You'll see soon enough. But I'll have to put this over your head, Violet." Juliet held up the sack she had been holding and immediately, Violet began to panic. What was going on? She stared at Juliet with wide eyes, and swallowed hard.

"What's going on?" She asked in a low whisper. "What's happening?" She felt so scared, so unprepared for whatever was coming. Juliet sighed, but gave Violet a reassuring smile.

"I can't tell you Violet, I just need you to cooperate." She said quietly. Violet swallowed again, staring at Juliet.

"Are they going to _kill_ me?" She whispered, feeling tears stinging at her eyes. Violet hadn't even noticed she had said _they_ and not _you._ She wasn't including Juliet as one of the Others.

Juliet shook her head.

"No, they aren't going to kill you. You're not in danger, or in trouble. It's going to be okay, Violet. Just trust me." Juliet looked at her with such serious eyes, Violet couldn't help but truly feel Juliet was telling the truth. After what Juliet had done for her that one day, when she had tried escaping for the second time, Violet truly believed Juliet was looking out for her. In that moment, though she would never admit it, it was her trust in Juliet, and that alone, that allowed Violet to nod her head, and let Juliet place the itchy brown sack over Violet's head.

* * *

Kate felt the sweat beading on her forehead, as she forced herself to lift a heavy rock and drop it on the other side of the clearing. The sun was high in the sky, and she knew she had already been at it for hours. Why they were bringing her and Sawyer out here everyday, she didn't know, but she refused to show any sign of weakness, no matter _how_ frightened or weak she felt. Their eyes were constantly on her and Sawyer, watching, waiting for any sign of bad behaviour, just looking for an excuse to use their taser devices. It sickened Kate. If this was the way they treated Sawyer and Kate, how were they treating Jack? Worse, how were they treating _Violet?_

Kate caught a glimpse of Sawyer over her shoulder and immediately looked away, knowing if she stopped for too long, they would notice. Strange, they only shocked Sawyer, even for times they talked to _her._ For some reason, they wouldn't use their tasers on Kate, but it hurt her just as much to see them shocking Sawyer. But she admired Sawyer's strength. He always got up right afterwards, and kept his anger hidden, always flashing her a weak, reassuring smile. Kate couldn't explain it, but Sawyer hardly seemed the same man she had met. He had changed, and she was glad for his presence.

"You're stallin' Kate." Thom called out suddenly, causing Kate to jump a little. She turned and looked over at Thom, who was holding a walkie talkie, glaring in her direction with raised eyebrows. Kate narrowed her eyes, but went back to hauling rocks. The worst part about this whole thing was how they still insisted she wear this dress. It made the work difficult, and awkward, but she knew they didn't care. They cared about nothing; they were _monsters._

Faintly, she heard Thom's walkie talkie crackling, and she peered over her shoulder subtly to see Thom adjusting some knobs, and brought it up to his lips.

"Say that again, Juliet, I can't hear you." Thom yelled into the talkie. Kate strained to hear, but she couldn't hear what the woman on the other end was saying.

"You're doing what?" Thom yelled in a bit of an angry tone. "It was _Ben's_ idea? Are you sure Juliet?" Kate turned her head away when Thom's eyes shot up, but she still listened carefully as she lifted another rock.

"Yeah alright, we won't interfere, just do what you need to do." Thom put his walkie talkie back in his pants and continued to watch Kate, while Pickett had his murderous eyes on Sawyer. Kate hated Pickett; she hated _all_ of them for what they had done, but the way Pickett glared at them, she didn't like it.

Kate dropped a rock and wiped the sweat off her brow. She stole a glance at Sawyer, who looked up at her with a bit of a smile. Kate managed to smile back, but before she could turn back to her own work, she noticed Sawyer looking past her with that curious look in his eye. Kate turned immediately and saw what he saw.

There was a woman who had joined the rest of the Others, but Kate forgot about her immediately. For the woman was holding the arm of a small figure wearing a striped T-shirt and jeans, and a burlap sack over her head. Kate's stomach sank, and she could feel her heart hammering wildly against her chest as she felt tears clouding her vision. Kate was sure, absolutely _positive_ who was under that sack. She felt suspended in that moment, as though nothing else around her was truly happening.

Kate remained rooted to where she was standing, unable to take her eyes off the figure, who never moved or flinched under the woman's grasp. Kate swallowed hard, blinking away the tears, feeling her stomach jolt as the woman who had a grip on the girl's arm, slowly removed the sack.

Violet's eyes squinted immediately, adjusting to the brightness of the sun. Kate felt a tear roll down her cheek as the biggest sense of relief washed over her. Violet was here, she was safe, she was _alive._ She was right here in front of her, after all this time, there she was. Kate wiped the tear away quickly as more tears threated to escape.

Violet strained her eyes to figure out where she was, and she noticed she was outside, and saw in front of her some people, moving rocks around. Violet rubbed her eyes with her free hand, and noticed Juliet let go of her arm. Violet looked up at her, but noticed she was staring out at the clearing. Violet looked back, but nothing could have prepared her for who she saw.

It took Violet a moment to let it sink in. Kate, standing in the clearing, wiping tears from her eyes, staring right at her. Kate, _really_ Kate, not a video, not a trick, just Kate. Violet didn't think, she didn't _care_ how she got there, or why she was there, but the tears escaped from Violet immediately, as she ran forward with such desperation and longing.

"Kate!" Violet yelled out, unable to control it anymore. Kate was no longer rooted to the ground. As soon as she saw the young girl running toward her, with tears flying off her face, Kate shot forward, wanting nothing more than to hold Violet, protect her, tell her it would be okay.

Kate ran, Violet ran, and the two met.

Kate grabbed hold of Violet and squeezed, as Violet held on tight. Violet couldn't control the tears anymore, as she sobbed uncontrollably into Kate's shoulder. Kate could feel her own tears glazing her eyes, but she tried to remain strong for the girl who was shaking in her arms.

"Violet, I'm so glad you're alright." She managed to say, holding Violet close, not wanting to let her go, for fear of losing her again.

"I knew you'd come." Violet choked out, as she pulled out of the hug, and stared at Kate with misty eyes. A smile crossed her lips as she took in the reality of the situation. This wasn't a dream, or a trick. This was Kate; she was here. It was going to be okay.

Violet barely noticed when Juliet had joined them. Kate stared at her warily. Violet wiped her tears with her sleeve.

"I'm letting you two have some time together, but I can't give you much, okay?" Juliet looked more to Violet than Kate, as though Violet would understand the rules more than Kate would. Neither Kate or Violet showed any sign of understanding, but Juliet walked away, leaving Kate and Violet to themselves.

Violet took a deep breath, staring up at Kate, feeling such relief, but that was when the questions came to her, as she looked around and realized the Others were all standing with rifles, watching with intensity. Violet suddenly felt frightened, as she turned back to Kate.

"What's going on?" She asked, feeling her heart leap into her throat. This wasn't a rescue, what was going on?

Kate sighed, and looked into Violet's curious eyes, not wanting to admit she had failed her mission and was now as much of a captive as she was, but she promised herself she would not lie to Violet if she could help it.

"We were taken by _them_, Violet. We were coming to rescue you and Walt, and we were ambushed by the Others. It was Michael. He betrayed us. He made a deal with the Others to trade us for his son." Kate explained. Violet felt her heart beating as she stared at Kate.

"Michael _betrayed _you?" Then it dawned on her. "Wait, you said _we._ Who else are you talking about?"

"They took me, and they took Jack and Sawyer too." Kate looked past Violet, and when Violet turned her head, she saw the familiar face of Sawyer, who was still working on rocks, but stealing a glance over every now and again. He caught Violet's glance and shot her a wink with a bit of a grin. Violet turned back to Kate.

"Where's Jack?" She asked, feeling worried. Kate felt that feeling in the pit of her stomach. The truth was, she didn't _know_ where Jack was. They wouldn't tell her anymore than they would tell her where Violet was. She just prayed he was alright.

"I don't know yet, but don't worry, we'll find him." Kate said with a bit of a smile.

"What happened to Michael?" Violet wanted to know, feeling angered with Walt's father, but now it all made sense. The last time she had seen Walt, he was yelling at her that his father was alive and he had seen him. _He must have been here; _that _must have been when the Others told him what to do._

"The last thing I saw before they drugged me and brought me here was Michael and Walt, driving away in a boat. Walt tried to tell me something about you, but I couldn't hear him." Kate explained, knowing how much it would hurt Violet that Walt was gone, again.

Violet felt tears stinging her eyes.

"He really _is_ gone then." She swallowed hard. "I won't see him again." Kate didn't know what to say to make her feel better. Walt and Michael were on their way back to the rest of the world, Violet was right, she probably wouldn't see Walt again. But Kate had questions of her own. Finally, Violet was here in front of her, she wanted to know everything.

"What are they doing to you here, Violet?" Kate asked. Violet looked up and saw the concern in Kate's eyes. Violet breathed out.

"Nothing. They keep me locked up in a room, they bring me food and books to read. At the beginning, I was asked questions every day about you, Jack, Sawyer, and Walt, and about whether or not we had weapons. I didn't tell them everything. I was scared what they would do. They never tell me anything, they just keep me locked up all day." Tears were staining Violet's cheeks now, as she shuddered, thinking of that cell again. It was so nice to actually be outside.

Kate puckered her brow, feeling angered. Why would they take Violet, just to keep her locked up? She lowered her voice to a whisper, leaning closer to Violet.

"Have they hurt you?" Kate asked, remembering how rough the Others had been bringing them here. Violet sighed, visibly shaking.

"Not really, but there was one time that was close." She replied. Kate shook her head, staring murderously at the Others, who were still watching the interaction take place.

"What happened?" Kate asked, as calmly as she could muster.

"I was taking a shower, and they left me alone in the room. I found a way to escape, through the air duct system, but I was caught, trying to escape. I was scared to death, Kate, because I tried to escape once before, and was caught, and Ben told me if I ever tried that again, I wouldn't enjoy the consequences. I was scared when I tried again, because I thought it meant they were going to kill me. But...Juliet was the one who caught me, and she didn't tell anybody. She saved me." Violet replied, shuddering as she remembered how scared she had been, how sure she had been that it was all over for her. Kate leaned in, grabbing a hold of Violet by the arms.

"I don't know who this Juliet is, or what her motive is to pretend like she's doing you a favour, but she's one of _them, _Violet. Don't trust them, _any_ of them. They're trying to get you to trust them. I don't know why, but you cannot trust them, do you understand me?" Kate hissed, keeping her voice down as much as possible. Violet saw how serious Kate was, and she trusted Kate with her whole life. She knew whatever Kate told her was important, so she nodded. Kate stared at her for a moment, to assure herself Violet understood, before she let go.

"We're going to get out of here, Violet. You, me, Jack and Sawyer are going to leave this place and go back to the beach. I don't know how, yet, but I promise you, we're going to get out of here." Kate almost stopped herself. Another promise, another promise she had no certainty she could keep. But as she looked into Violet's scared eyes, she had to make that promise, she had to give Violet hope, and she would do _everything_ in her power to get Violet out of here.

"I'm just so glad you're here." Violet confessed, with a smile. "I knew, I mean, I hoped you were still looking for me. I, hoped you weren't giving up." Kate shook her head.

"We've never given up. Jack and I were searching every day! We never stopped looking." That was when she remembered what she had found the first day she had ventured out in search for Violet. Kate had worn that strawberry charm bracelet of Violet's around her own wrist, so she would be able to return it to Violet when, or if, she had found her.

Kate reached over and unclasped the bracelet.

"I believe this is yours." Kate placed the strawberry charm bracelet in Violet's hand. Violet smiled when she realized what it was. Tears sparkled in her eyes.

"I thought I would never see this again." She sniffed as she stared at Kate. "You kept it for me." Kate smiled, taking a hold of the bracelet again, and helping Violet put it on. Kate looked at Violet, who couldn't stop crying, and Kate had a feeling it wasn't just about the bracelet anymore. She took hold of Violet's shaking hand.

"It's going to be okay, Violet, I promise." Kate said, feeling tears glazing her own eyes. "I'll get you out of here." This was killing her, seeing Violet, knowing she was safe, but terrified and miserable. Violet only shook her head.

"Kate, they're _everywhere. _There's cameras all over, and they all have weapons. Tasers, guns, I don't know. I've tried to escape _twice _and I got caught both times. It's...hopeless." Violet couldn't help her feelings anymore. When she had first seen Kate, she thought it was all over; she would be able to go back to the beach with Kate and Jack and everything would be okay. But once she realized Kate was captive here as much as she was, her hope disappeared.

"I don't want to hear you say that! I told you we would get out, so we are going to get _out!_" Kate said quietly. Violet stared at her, almost feeling Kate's seriousness. She didn't know what to say, she could only nod her head, offering the smallest smile. Nothing really mattered right now, Kate was here. Violet was no longer alone.

Violet suddenly felt that familiar presence by her side, and she felt sick to her stomach, knowing who it was, and what it would mean.

"It's time to go, Violet." Juliet said with that calm voice. Violet stared at Kate with tears in her eyes. Kate was looking at Juliet.

"Where are you taking her?" She asked through clenched teeth. Juliet stared at her and shook her head.

"You know I can't tell you that, Kate." She replied, as she took a hold of Violet's arm. Immediately, Kate lost it.

"Let go of her!" She yelled out, trying to pry Juliet's hand away from Violet, pulling on Violet's arm with her other hand. Kate was hardly aware of the yelling coming from the Others behind her, and as Juliet tried pushing Kate away, while holding on to Violet, who was crying silently, Kate felt heavy arms grab her, and pull her away.

"Let go of her! Do you hear me? Don't _touch_ her!" Kate screamed out, as she saw Sawyer out of the corner of her eye.

"You heard the lady. Let go of the kid!" He ran right at Juliet and Violet, but it was too late; Pickett had his taser gun out, and he zapped Sawyer right in the side. Violet screamed out as Sawyer fell to the ground, convulsing. Kate was still screaming.

"Leave her alone! Where are you taking her?" She yelled. Juliet took a hold of the burlap sack, and placed it over Violet's head. Violet's hands went up to pull it off, but Juliet took hold of Violet's hands, and pulled them away, leading her back toward the building they had come from.

"Violet! It's going to be okay! Violet!" Kate yelled, as the man wouldn't let go, Sawyer lay convulsing on the ground, and Violet went willingly with Juliet, still sobbing, but knowing better than to fight back.

* * *

Violet could feel herself being led into an elevator, the same elevator she had been brought up in. She knew she was being brought back to her cell. Juliet never said a word, as she led the crying Violet down more corridors and finally, Violet heard the familiar sound of the door creaking open, and the sack was removed from her head.

Violet saw the white bed, the white dresser, the white desk and table, knowing every part of this room by memory. She was back.

Juliet didn't speak, but she watched Violet intensely, as she dried her tears on her arm, making her way over to her bed, sitting herself down. Silence ensued for quite some time, but Juliet didn't want to leave. She knew Violet was upset.

Violet finally took a deep breath in, and shakily exhaled.

"Violet, would you like something to drink?" Juliet asked, staring at the back of the girl on the bed. Violet shook her head. More silence followed, until finally, Violet spoke.

"Thanks for bringing me up there to see her." She whispered, still sobbing, and shaking a little. Juliet smiled a little.

"You're welcome." She replied. She was glad it had made Violet happy, but she hated how this was all just a part of Ben's plan. She hated how Violet perceived it as Juliet doing something nice for her. _Meanwhile, it's just a means to an end._ Juliet sighed to herself.

"I'm sorry I couldn't give you more time." She said finally, walking over to where Violet was sitting, and taking a seat beside her. Violet could only nod.

"Will I be able to see her again?" She asked suddenly. Juliet considered her for a moment.

"Probably." She replied honestly. She wasn't sure what Ben had in mind, but there was a good chance the two would meet up again. Besides, even if they wouldn't, she couldn't bear to tell Violet she would never see Kate again. She had been devastated when she had told her Walt was gone for good. She didn't want to give anymore bad news.

The two sat in silence for a while, Violet thinking about Kate, and Jack and even Sawyer, who were all in the same boat she was in now. They were all prisoners, all captive by the Others. But now she wasn't the only one. It wasn't up to her to escape anymore, not on her own. Now there were three adults, who had gotten themselves out of tough spots before. _If anyone can get us out of here,_ she thought quietly to herself, _they can!_


	5. Hope

**Chapter Five: Hope**

Kate paced endlessly in her cage, biting her nails as she walked back and forth. She couldn't stop thinking about her encounter with Violet the day before. How shocked and relieved she had been to see her finally standing there, alive. Though she was far from alright, she was still being kept prisoner against her will, with no real sense or purpose for being there. Kate couldn't understand it; why would they kidnap a girl only to lock her up and keep her there. _There's got to be more to the picture than we're seeing. These are the _Others_ we're talking about, after all._

Kate sighed, as she racked her brain for some kind of idea, a plan as to how she was contemplating keeping the promise she just made to Violet. She had promised to get her out of here, but now, she had no idea as to how she was going to pull that off. _God, Kate, can't you keep your big mouth shut?_ She thought to herself, remembering how much it had hurt when she broke her promise to keep Violet safe when the Others had taken her. Violet had _known_ she wasn't safe, because Walt had seen it with the strange feelings he would get, but Kate didn't trust them, or Violet. Now she was in the same boat, once again, unsure how she was going to keep this promise.

"You okay over there Freckles?" Sawyer asked as he peeked through his own bars to where Kate was making a dent in the ground. Kate looked up and saw Sawyer raising his eyebrows. She couldn't help but feel nothing but the utmost admiration for what Sawyer had done yesterday. Running forward like that, trying to free Violet from their clutches, only to receive a shock that had rendered him unconscious for a few hours. She would never forget it.

"Sawyer, we gotta get out of here." Kate said quietly. Sawyer laughed a little.

"Hell, you think I don't _know_ that?" Kate had to smile, but not for long.

"What do you think they're doing to her?" She asked, looking toward the direction that woman had taken Violet toward. Sawyer sighed, but Kate went on.

"You said the kid told you they keep her locked up all the time. They probably ain't doing anything to her." He replied.

"But what if they are, and she didn't say anything because they threatened her or something?" Kate asked, spreading her arms out. Sawyer shook his head.

"You don't know they are, just relax Freckles, you're making me dizzy." He replied. Kate sighed.

"I can't relax, Sawyer. We have _got_ to get out of here."

"Tell me about it Freckles, I don't like being caged up any more than you do, but come on, keep your head about it. We'll get out." Sawyer looked around his cage, once again trying to come up with a clever way to get out of his cage, but still, nothing was coming to mind.

* * *

Violet exhaled loudly as she sat cross-legged on her bed, thinking once again about her encounter with Kate yesterday. Now that she knew she was here, she wanted nothing more than to see her again. Juliet had told her it wasn't the right time yet, but that wasn't good enough for Violet. She needed to see Kate, to know she was still here, to hear her say it would be alright again.

Violet thought about the day before, when Juliet had taken her from her cell, placed a sack over her head, and take her down a few corridors, into an elevator and outside where she had seen Kate for the first time in weeks. Violet tried to remember the directions she had turned, and how many floors she had gone up. _If I could only get out of this room, I'm _sure_ I could get back outside._ She wasn't completely convinced, but she wanted to see Kate. Maybe if she could find her, the two of them would figure out a way to get away from the Others, rescuing Jack and Sawyer along the way.

Just a thought, she figured, knowing she wouldn't be given the chance. She would need to get out of this room first. The only time they let her out was that one time, when Juliet took her for a -

Suddenly, the door opened quickly, and Violet looked up with a start, for it wasn't Juliet entering the room, it was a man she recognized and feared. It was the man who had held her down the day she escaped and found Walt. His strong arms had held her tightly while Juliet had injected her with something that put her to sleep for 18 hours. She shuddered at the memory. Violet recalled Juliet calling him Thom.

She stared at him with wide eyes as he walked into the room.

"Get up, you're going for a shower!" He said as he crossed his arms. Violet didn't dare argue, so she stood up and approached him slowly, as he grabbed her arm tightly, causing her to wince a little, and he pulled her out of the room.

"Where's Juliet?" She asked, as Thom dragged her down the hallway quickly; she had to jog to keep up to his strides.

"Busy with something else." Was the only answer she got out of him.

As Thom brought her down the hallways toward the shower room, Violet took special note of the turnings of the hallways, remembering the air duct system she had once tried to escape through. If Thom would only leave her alone in that room, she might be able to crawl her way into the air duct system, and crawl her way out.

Thom unlocked a heavy steel door and pushed Violet inside.

"Don't take too long." Thom said as he slammed the door behind her, locking her in. Violet looked around quickly, making sure there were still no cameras in this room; there weren't. She looked up at the ceiling and saw the opening she had once torn down was still there, still open! She guessed they weren't able to fix what she had broken. _I wonder how Juliet covered that up._ She wondered to herself.

Trying to act quickly, ignoring her heart hammering against her chest, she ran over and turned on the shower, to block out whatever noise she was going to make, and to make Thom believe she was doing as she was told.

As she quietly made her way over to the same stool she had stood on the first time she tried this, she paused, remembering what Juliet had said. If Thom caught her this time, she was done for. He wouldn't cover for her like Juliet did, and Ben would find out. The thought terrified her, and she stopped in her tracks, nearly deciding to just do as she was told, and take the shower. But then she thought of Kate. _If I can just make it to her, I'll be okay._ She reasoned, not overly convinced, but wanting to see Kate so badly, for even just the smallest possibility of escaping this place was enough to get her going again.

Violet quickly grabbed the stool, dragging it underneath the hole in the ceiling, and checked the door again. Still locked, Thom was still outside, the shower was still running. Swallowing hard, and muttering a quick prayer, she reached her arms up, grabbing the interior of the duct, and hoisted herself up, grunting as she tried to grab hold of something inside to help pull her up. She wasn't sure how much noise she was making; she just hoped that the noise from the shower was blocking it out.

The air duct system was small; she would have to crawl on her belly to wiggle through it, but she knew she would be able to. The other problem was that it was dark. She wasn't sure how she would know where to exit the system, but it was too late to go back now. She hoped she would just be lucky, and not jump down in front of one of _them._

She began her journey, holding her breath so it wouldn't echo against the steel walls surrounding her. It was cramped in here, and she could swear she could hear her own heart echoing off the pipes, but she was sure it was just her imagination. Every so often, she would hit a dead end, feeling her head gently collide with the end of the system, and she would have to guess whether to turn left or right. All she could do was guess. Every now and then, she made it to a vent and could peer down into the room below, but nothing was looking familiar, so she kept on going. _If I can just make it to right outside the cell they keep me in, I'll be able to make it outside._ She was sure of it, but she wasn't seeing anything familiar.

Violet was beginning to feel trapped, claustrophobic inside here, and it was getting hot. She could feel beads of sweat forming on her forehead, and her breathing was becoming shallow. _Don't faint, do _not_ faint!_ She told herself, as she forced herself to keep going. Now that she was here, with no way out, fear began to overwhelm her. There were two outcomes that could result from this. She might find her way out of here, find Kate and they could rescue Sawyer and Jack and all escape together, or she might get caught, by somebody other than Juliet, and suffer some unknown consequence she _knew_ wouldn't be good. Ben had told her they wouldn't be pleasant, and even _Juliet_ had told her Ben was serious, and she didn't want to see Violet go through that.

Violet shuddered. This escape theory was becoming less and less realistic to her now. She might find Kate, but then what? The last time she had seen Kate, she was in a clearing where five or six of _them_ were watching with rifles. What chance did they really stand?

She forced herself on, clinging to the smallest bit of hope she could find, remembering her conversation with Walt what seemed like ages ago.

* * *

_"Do you think the people back home...I mean, on the beach...do you think they're looking for us?" Violet asked, as she tugged on a loose thread on her T-shirt. Walt puckered his brow, something he did when he got upset. Violet could tell._

_"What's wrong?" She asked. Walt looked up._

_"I don't even know if my dad's still alive, Violet." He sighed angrily. "When they took me, they threw a bomb on the raft. I don't even know if they survived." Violet's heart skipped a beat, and all she could feel was anger. These people snatched her from her home, beating everyone unconscious so they wouldn't follow, and now they tried to _kill _Michael, Jin and Sawyer. Violet didn't know what to say, but it was then a thought occurred to her._

_"Walt! They have to be alive!" She hissed, hoping Ms. Klugh and Juliet wouldn't hear. "They've been asking me questions about Sawyer. Why would they ask questions about him if he was dead? Think about it, Walt, it makes sense, doesn't it? If Sawyer's still alive, your dad must be too!" It was a long shot, but they had to have hope. Walt stared at her, seriously considering her. _

_"Walt, if we don't have hope, we don't have anything." Violet said, as a tear fell. "I have to believe they're coming for us. If they aren't, we will be stuck here forever. Let's face it, escape seems impossible. I've already tried and look where it got me. Ben told me if I tried it again, the consequences would be...unpleasant. I'm scared to try again, Walt. If Kate isn't looking for me..." She didn't want to finish. The thought had never really occurred to her before. Kate and Jack seemed to be her only way out, but what if they had given up on her? _They won't - Kate won't

_The two sat in silence for what seemed a long while, before Violet spoke again._

_"Why did I know you were here, Walt?" She asked. "You get feelings like that all the time, but it's something you're used to. I've never had them before in my life, but ever since that day I met you...why?" Walt looked at her seriously._

_"I don't know, but it's weird." He replied and looked up to see Violet crack a very small grin._

_"Definitely weird." She said with a bit of a laugh. Walt smiled. _

_"But I'm glad I had it. I knew you were here. At least...at least we're not alone." Violet said. She jumped when she heard the big steel door behind her open up. Walt looked up over Violet's shoulder, but Violet didn't move._

_"Violet, you're time's up." She heard Juliet saying. Violet didn't move as Walt stared at her. _

_"I want more time." Violet was crying, and didn't even realize it, as she stared at Walt._

_"I can't give you that Violet, you know I can't." Juliet said sympathetically. Violet got up on her knees and threw her arms around Walt again, who hugged her back. _

_"Don't give up Violet." Walt said. "You're right, we have to have hope."_

* * *

Violet breathed out, as she forced herself forward. _Hope, I have to have hope. For you, Walt._ That was when she peered down a vent and saw the familiar green corridor, with a black cabinet in the hallway, and a heavy steel door. This was where her room was.

She held her breath, listening for any signs of life below her. Seeing, and hearing nothing, she assumed the coast was clear. She pushed against the vent hard, with all her might, straining as it wouldn't give. With a sudden jerk, it fell to the floor with a crash. Violet wiggled her way out of the hole and fell to the ground, landing on her feet as she stared around wide-eyed for only a moment. There was nobody around, and no sign that anybody had heard the crash. Still, she ran, remembering the way Juliet had taken her out, even though she had a sack over her head. Left here, right here, around a corner. Violet was out of breath, checking every corner before she turned it, peering over her shoulder ever moment. That was when she came to stop right in front of an elevator. She breathed out. It was the elevator Juliet had brought her up in. She didn't feel safe, imagining herself in an elevator, waiting patiently for it to stop, only to find one of _them_ on the other side of those doors, with no warnings.

Violet decided to take the stairs.

She hoisted open the heavy door next to the elevator that revealed a rusty staircase, winding up. Violet recalled hearing six beeps on her way up in the elevator, so she assumed she was six floors below ground level. She ran up six flights of stairs, winded, but never quitting. If she stalled for only a moment, rested for just a second, she might not make it any further.

She saw sunlight coming through a crack in a door, and she smiled in relief. She had made it this far, she _had _to make it the rest of the way.

Carefully, Violet opened the door and was blinded by the sunlight that shone its way through. She let her eyes adjust as she peeked out and saw once again that the coast was clear.

Zigzagging her way through the trees and bushes, checking every direction all the time, she found her way to the same clearing where she had seen Kate the day before. Only, nobody was there. Violet stopped, and nearly panicked. She hadn't thought about this. She had no idea where Kate was being held. Or Sawyer. Or Jack. How would she find any of them now?

Feeling vulnerable standing in the middle of an open clearing, she ran, away from the compound she was being kept in, and further down a dirt trail. She didn't know where she was going, or what she would find. There was nothing to do now but hope she would run into Kate, Jack or Sawyer, and not one of the Others. Her stomach hurt, thinking about what would happen if-

That was when she saw Sawyer. He was inside what looked like a cage you might find at a zoo, pacing back and forth. She ran forward, feeling her eyes welling up with tears. He wasn't Kate, but he was one of her own. She grasped his bars, and managed a smile when he looked up and stared at her in surprise.

"How the hell did you get out?" He asked in surprise. Violet smiled a little, feeling a tear roll down her cheek.

"Violet?" A shaky voice called. Violet turned around and noticed another cage, similar to Sawyer's, and inside was Kate, staring at Violet with surprise, but also fear. Violet ran crying over to the cage, and grabbed a hold of Kate's hands that were sticking out of the cage.

"Violet, what the hell do you think you're doing? You're going to get caught!" Kate looked up to the cameras that were monitoring this area, and she felt sick to her stomach. Violet was crying.

"I-I don't know, I had to see you. Y-you know, I thought if I could just...just find you, we could escape, somehow, and we could rescue Jack too, and all get out of here." Violet realized now that she was saying it, just how ridiculous it was, and now her tears were because of how scared she was. She knew there were cameras. By now, they _had_ to know she was missing. Thom would have known by now she was taking too long in the shower. Someone would have found the vent on the ground, or seen her running around unescorted on the cameras.

"Violet, they're going to come up here soon." Kate hissed, as Violet began fumbling at the lock that was holding Kate inside.

"I'll get you out, I _have_ to." Violet cried out as she tried to pull at it, bang it against the metal, whatever she could do, but nothing was working.

"Kate, I don't know what to do! I'm sorry!" Violet cried out, as fear began to overwhelm her again. Her heart started pounding wildly against her chest, her breathing became irregular, and that was when they heard an ear-piercing buzzing sound coming from the compound. Like an alarm!

"Violet, you have to run! They're coming for you!" Kate screamed out, as she placed her hands over her ears.

"No, I can do this, I _have_ to." Violet began tugging on the lock again, in a desperate attempt to get Kate out. If only she could get Kate out of the cage, she would be able to protect Violet from them. Even _that_ sounded ridiculous. They had weapons! _Juliet won't find me this time! They will! The alarm is off! They will all know it's me that's escaped! Ben will know!_ Panic engulfed her as she breathed heavily, trying to do anything she could to get the lock to give, but she knew it was hopeless.

"Violet, dammit, run!" Kate screamed.

"No, Kate, I can't!"

"Would you listen to the woman, and git the hell out of here kid?" Sawyer yelled out over the sound of the alarm. Violet shook her head vigorously as she stared at Kate with such fear and desperation. She noticed Kate was looking over her shoulder in fear.

"Violet, run!" Kate screamed out. Violet didn't even have time to turn around when she felt a hand grab her arm so tightly that she screamed out in pain.

"Thought you could get away, did you?" The man yelled angrily as he grabbed a fistful of Violet's hair, pulling her head back hard so she could see the top of his head. Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes.

"Pickett, let her go!" Kate screamed out, pounding against her bars. "You're hurting her! Stop it!" Violet couldn't stop crying, as Pickett released the grip on her arm, still holding her hair tightly. He took his walkie talkie out and spoke into it.

"Ben, I got Deville. She's out by Austen's and Ford's cages." Pickett said. Violet felt her heart leap into her throat. Ben knew she had escaped. She tried to swallow, as she listened to the silence that followed, before Ben spoke through the walkie talkie.

"Good work, Danny. Bring her to room 16 downstairs." Ben paused. "I'd like to have a little chat with her." Violet cried out as Pickett yanked her hair again, and all she could think about was Ben's consequences, and what that would mean. Were they going to kill her? She could only cry as Pickett let go of her hair, and grabbed her arms tightly, pulling her away from Sawyer and Kate, who were both yelling after her, but she could no longer hear them.


	6. Dangerous

**Chapter Six: Dangerous**

"Easy Freckles, you gotta quit worryin'." Saywer said as he watched Kate shaking her bars violently, pulling at the lock and running hard against the door, trying everything in her power to get out of her cage. Kate stopped, as fresh tears stung her eyes, and she tried to catch her breath.

"Quit worrying? Sawyer, _Pickett_ was the one who caught her! He hates us, and he treats us like _we're_ the bad guys! Did you _see_ the way he grabbed her? He was enjoying every minute! God, I just...I just...I gotta know what they're doing to her!" Kate gripped her hair tightly as she breathed out. Sawyer spread his arms out.

"What makes you think they're gonna do _anything_ to her? Hell, you told me yourself all they do is keep her locked up. She said they haven't hurt her."

"She tried to escape once before this." Kate said, as she caught Sawyer's attention. "She got caught, and Ben told her if she escaped again, there would be unpleasant consequences for her. Then she tried escaping another time, and from what she told me, one of these _Others_, that blonde woman, was the one who found her, and she kept it a secret, keeping Violet safe. Why she would do that for one of us is beyond me, but she _wasn't_ the one who caught her this time. Ben knows now. I don't know what consequences he's talking about, but I know what I've seen with these people. They've attacked us, murdered us, kidnapped us; I wouldn't put anything past them." Kate clutched herself as a tear rolled down her cheek. She turned from Sawyer, who could only stare at her back, with nothing to say in response.

* * *

Ben sat in an old arm chair in the corner of room 16 patiently, never acknowledging Thom's presence, who was standing in the other corner of the room, staring at the door, watching, waiting. Ben never flinched or moved, he just maintained a calm exterior as he began to hear footsteps down the corridor, and the satisfying sound of a young girl's screams. Ben nearly smiled. _She's afraid of me._

Pickett yanked open the big steel door that opened into the room, pushing Violet forward, who cried out. Ben noticed a bruise forming on Violet's forearm, where Pickett must have held on to her.

Ben stood and nodded to Pickett, who closed the door behind him, locking in Violet with three of the Others. Violet forced her tears down, trying not to appear afraid in the presence of Ben, but she couldn't deny the fact that she was terrified. She wondered to herself with desperation where Juliet was. Did she know she had been caught? Would she really _care_ like she claimed she did?

"Well Violet, it seems as though you have been a naughty young lady. You broke the rules, after I set them out so clearly. I was under the impression you understood when I told you not to try that again." Ben said in a sickingly calm voice. Violet swallowed hard, holding her sore arm and staring at Ben with tears in her eyes.

"Where's Juliet?" She asked, her voice shaking as much as every part of her body. Ben took a step closer, as Violet moved back in fear.

"She's busy." Was all Ben would say. He turned back to Pickett, who was seemingly waiting for orders. "You can go now. Thank you Danny." Pickett nodded, shooting a final glare at Violet before he exited the room. Violet swallowed hard, as she stared at Ben, who only looked at her with those wide blue eyes, never saying a word for a few moments. The silence made Violet feel even more uncomfortable and frightened. _What is he going to do to me?_

Finally, Ben returned to his seat, next to what looked like a control panal of some sort, with buttons everywhere. Violet was curious, but only for a moment, because Ben broke the silence.

"Why did you try and escape, Violet?" He asked. "Don't you like it here? We feed you, you have a nice room, I've even heard Juliet has been bringing you some books." Ben stared at her, waiting for her response. Violet swallowed again, trying to think of something, _anything_ that might get her out of this.

"I, I wasn't trying to escape. I only wanted to see Kate." She said as she unconsciously took a step back. Ben's eyes never left her.

"I already let you see Kate once, yesterday. Violet, I'm a man who keeps my promises. But I seem to recall asking you to never try and escape again." He said, as he kept looking at her. Violet didn't know what she was expected to say; was there _anything_ she could say to keep herself safe? She wasn't sure anymore. Oddly, she was wishing Juliet was there. Would she say anything to stop this?

"Violet, have you ever heard of Stanley Milgram?" Ben said unexpectedly. Violet puckered her brow, and that was when she realized there was someone else in the room. Thom was moving closer to her, and Violet's heart began beating faster as she remained rooted to where she was standing. Trying to run would be stupid, screaming would do nothing, she could do nothing but wait to see where this was going.

"Milgram was an experimenter. He conducted an experiment to see if people would learn faster if they were administered a small electric shock when their answer was wrong. It turns out his experiment was _actually_ measuring obedience in the person giving the shock, to see if they would shock people more if they were told to. But I have to admit, I like his original premise better. I'm no experimenter, but I think people would learn faster if they were shocked, because then they would pair the negative behaviour with the negative _consequences."_ Ben stared at Violet, who was staring at him with wide eyes, still not completely understanding where he was going with this. He raised an eyebrow, as he gave Violet a bit of a smile. "Shall we give it a try?" Violet felt strong arms grabbing her middle, dragging her towards a chair in the center of the room. She tried to fight him, but Thom managed to force her into the chair. Ben only watched with callous eyes, as Thom strapped Violet's wrists to the arms of the chair. Violet started to scream out, begging to be released, but Thom already had a gag out, and he stuffed it into Violet's mouth, shutting her up.

Tears leaked out of her eyes, as she stared at Ben desperately, feeling cold metal against her wrists. She pulled and jerked, but there was no hope of getting out of these binds. They were too tight.

Ben leaned back in his chair, staring at Violet.

"If I were you, Violet, I would try to relax." Ben turned to the control panal, observing the buttons. "This is for your own good."

Violet could no longer contain the tears, as much as she was trying hard to keep herself calm, she was strapped in a chair and gagged. She was scared for her life!

"Those cold metal things on your wrists are small electrodes. What they do is transmit electricity through your body. I must warn you, Violet, it won't be pleasant." Ben turned back to the control board, staring at it meticulously, as he put on his glasses. Violet struggled once again against the straps, knowing that even if she was able to break out of this chair, Thom would easily catch her and strap her down again.

Ben turned a small crank and pressed a button. Violet jerked in her seat, as she felt a twinge of electricity flow through her body. She had never felt anything like it. It wasn't horrible, but she knew it was only going to get worse.

Ben cranked the dial again, and looked at Violet.

"Don't try escaping again, Violet." Ben said, as he pressed the button. The shock she received was stronger than the last one, and she felt dizziness overwhelm her as the electricity flowed through her. She tried to scream out from the pain, but the gag was stopping her. Tears leaked out of her eyes, as she watched Ben crank the dial again. She shook her head desperately, wanting him to stop.

"Next time, I expect you'll heed my warnings." He said, pressing the button. The pain was more unbearable this time, as her body arched, her ears were ringing, she felt her body go numb once the current had flown through her body. Her breathing was becoming laboured as she felt her whole body aching and shaking. She was sobbing hysterically now, pulling against the restraints, trying to beg Ben to let her go, but her words were lost in the gag. Her vision was blurring slightly. She didn't even see Ben increasing the voltage again. He pressed the button with no mercy, as Violet felt agonizing pain jolt through her body, and it wouldn't end. The dizziness got worse, her ears were ringing, the pain was sickening, she thought she might throw up, but it was then that everything faded. Her head dropped to her chest, as everything went black.

Ben kept pressing the button, sending more shocks into Violet's unconscious body before he realized she was no longer responding. He looked up at Thom, who stepped forward.

"What's wrong with her Thom?" Ben asked, staring at the unconscious Violet. Thom leaned over, and lifted Violet's head up a little to realize she had blacked out.

"She's out cold, Ben." Thom replied, staring at Ben worriedly. Ben stared at the limp body in the chair with wide eyes. He exhaled slowly. He didn't want _this_ to happen. He shook his head, and stared at Thom, who was waiting for Ben to give some kind of order.

"Go get Juliet." Ben said. Thom nodded and ran from the room. Ben sighed as he took his seat again.

* * *

Juliet was on the other side of the glass wall, talking to Jack, when Thom barged through the steel door. Juliet turned, and Jack looked up with narrow eyes. Thom tried to catch his breath.

"Thom, what are you doing here?" Juliet asked, as she crossed her arms. Thom breathed out, looking from Juliet to Jack. Thom finally looked back at Juliet and exhaled.

"Something's wrong with the girl." Thom replied. Juliet narrowed her eyes immediately, turning only for a second to acknowledge Jack, before she ran after Thom. She was worried, she knew something was wrong. As she followed Thom out of the room, down the hall, all she heard was Jack's angry shouting.

"What did you do to her? What did you do to Violet?" He yelled out. Juliet forced herself to ignore him as she jogged down the hallway, following Thom, wondering what was wrong. She was surprised when she realized Thom wasn't leading her toward Violet's cell.

"She's not in her room?" Juliet asked, as she continued to follow Thom. Thom didn't answer, he only continued to lead her.

He finally stopped in front of Room 16, and immediately, Juliet had a bad feeling. She knew what was behind this door. Thom unlocked the door, and opened it, allowing Juliet in first.

Juliet's heart skipped a beat when she saw the unconscious girl limp in the chair, strapped down. She ran over, and fell to her knees next to the chair, pulling Violet's face up slightly to see that she was unconscious. She turned to Ben, who was still sitting calmly in his armchair.

"What did you do to her?" Juliet asked with an angry voice. She already knew what had happened, she knew what this chair did. Juliet held Violet's head up gently, as she undid the gag around her head.

"I only did what I told her would happen if she tried to escape again. I'm a man of my word, Juliet." Ben replied calmly. Juliet stared at him for a moment.

"She tried to escape? Why wasn't I contacted?" She asked, as she unbuckled the straps binding Violet's wrists down.

"You were busy with Jack." Ben said as-a-matter-of-factly. Juliet shook her head, as she undid the last of Violet's straps. She immediately checked Violet's pulse, and put her face close to Violet's nose and mouth. Juliet exhaled loudly.

"She's hardly breathing!" She immediately turned to Thom. "Get her to the medical examining room, right now Thom!" Thom stole a glance at Ben, who nodded, before Thom reached down and scooped Violet up into his arms, as he ran from the room with the unconscious girl. Juliet started after him, but she first stopped and stared at Ben unbelievably. She sighed.

"Dammit Ben, she's just a kid." With that, she slammed the metal door behind her, leaving Ben alone.

* * *

"Get out Thom." Juliet said when she entered the examining room, where Thom had laid Violet on the examining table. Thom stared at Juliet.

"Juliet, I'm not sure-"

"Get out Thom!" Juliet yelled out, ignoring Thom as she pushed past him to tend to Violet. She heard the door shut behind her, and she hastingly grabbed hold of an oxygen mask and strapped it around Violet's head, positioning it so Violet could get some oxygen in her. Juliet turned on the respiration monitor in the corner, and placed the electrodes on Violet's chest and back so she could monitor her breathing. Juliet took a deep breath.

"Come on Violet, breathe." She said quietly, as she took a hold of Violet's wrist to check her pulse. That was when she realized the red burn marks on her wrist from where the electrodes had singed her skin. Juliet sighed as she stared at the red wrists. She forced herself to ignore them as she felt Violet's pulse. _Still weak._ Juliet stared at Violet, who was still out cold.

"Dammit, Violet, breathe. Deep breaths, come on!" Juliet ran over to the respiration machine and turned up the level of oxygen, and she double checked to make sure the mask was still snug around Violet's head. There was nothing more Juliet could do but wait and hope. Anger was bubbling inside of her. Ben had hurt a lot of people, but she never thought he would hurt a kid, especially not when he had a 16-year-old daughter of his own.

Juliet looked up at the respiration monitor and breathed a sigh of relief when it showed Violet's breathing becoming more and more regular, until she was back to normal. Juliet took Violet's wrist again and smiled to herself when she felt it was normal.

"Good girl Violet, just keep it up." Juliet removed the mask from Violet's face to let her breathe on her own. She still kept her hooked up to the monitor to be sure, but all she could do now was wait for Violet to wake up, so she could talk to her, and make sure she was really okay.

* * *

Juliet's eyes felt heavy as she sat next to Violet, who was still lying on the examining table. It had been nearly half an hour since Thom had brought her here and Violet was still unconscious. _But at least she's alive._ She couldn't bear to think about how far Ben had gone, but judging by the burn marks on Violet's wrists, Ben had given her no less than 500 volts. _You could have killed her, dammit Ben!_ Would he have gone higher had Violet not passed out?

Juliet stood up immediately when she saw Violet's hand move up to rub her head. As soon as Violet opened her eyes, she looked up at Juliet with pure fear before she sat up quickly with a gasp. Juliet quickly grabbed hold of her to steady her.

"Okay, Violet, you need to -"

"Where is he? He's not here, is he? Please keep him away from me!" Violet screamed out as she looked around vigorously, her whole body trembling.

"He's not here, Violet, listen sweetie, you have to-"

"Do you know what he did to me? I...I..." She burst into tears before she could help it. Juliet felt tears in her own eyes, as she reached out her hand.

"Violet, it's okay now, I'm here." She brushed a strand of loose hair out of Violet's face. "I promise you that I will do everything in my power to keep that man away from you." Violet shook her head, still shaking from the sobs.

"He...he tried to kill me." She stammered. Juliet exhaled, and shook her head.

"No Violet, he didn't want to kill you, but he _could_ have." Juliet took a breath, careful not to show her anger. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop it." Violet swallowed.

"I...I really thought I could get out without getting caught. I thought...if I could just get to Kate..." Violet couldn't finish. Why was she telling this to Juliet? She turned her head away, ashamed she was allowing herself to be vulnerable to one of _them. _Still, it was a strange sort of comfort for Violet that Juliet was there, and not somebody else.

"Violet, you can't try this again. I know you want to see Kate, I know you want to leave this place, but right now, you can't. I'm sorry, I know it's hard, but please promise me you won't try to escape again. I can't always be here to stop these things from happening." Juliet said quietly, knowing how much pain Violet was in, physically _and_ emotionally. Juliet knew what it was to be away from the people who you cared about, but didn't tell this to Violet.

Violet didn't say anything, she only looked down at her wrists, swallowing hard. Juliet leaned in a little closer, until she caught Violet's eye.

"Please Violet, you have to promise me. I don't want to see you hurt." She said, as she noticed a tear falling from Violet's eye. Violet didn't say anything at first, still stared dumbfounded at her wrists, still trembling visibly. Juliet was surprised when Violet spoke.

"Alright." She said quietly, her voice shaking, lowering it to barely a whisper. "Just please keep him away from me." Juliet nodded, unsure how she was going to do that, with Ben being who he was, but she swore to herself that she would do what she could.

"Will you let me bandage your wrists?" Juliet asked after a few moments of silence. Violet nodded and sat quietly as Juliet rummaged through some drawers for gauze and disinfectant, remembering in vivid detail being strapped down in that chair. She shuddered to herself, knowing now it was impossible for her to escape. She could only hope that Jack or Kate would come up with a plan, or there would be no hope.


	7. Jack's Promise

**Chapter Seven: Jack's Promise**

Jack paced back and forth in his cell, calling out every few seconds, but getting nothing in response. Anger and fear were bubbling through his veins, as the lack of knowledge was eating him up inside. An hour had passed since Thom had burst through those doors, demanding Juliet follow him quickly because "something was wrong with the girl." Jack knew he was talking about Violet, and nobody would answer his questions. Now they left him here with nothing but his imagination to play tricks on him. What had they done to Violet? Dammit, he was a doctor! He wanted to see her, make sure she was okay.

He slammed his fists against the glass, feeling it vibrate beneath his fists. His voice was growing hoarse, from yelling so much, but he wouldn't give up, not until he saw with his own eyes that Violet was safe.

As he was about to call out for someone to answer him for the umpteenth time, he finally saw the familiar figure of Juliet entering the room parrallel to the glass. She was carrying a tray of food.

"Jack, will you sit with your back against the wall please? I'll bring you in some food." She said quietly. Jack stared at her stubbornly.

"Where is she?" He asked. Juliet exhaled, looking at the door beside her, as if checking to see if anyone was around.

"Jack, I-"

"WHERE IS SHE?" Jack shouted at the top of lungs, smashing his fist against the glass. Juliet jumped and stared at Jack in surprise.

"Tell me, Juliet!" Jack exclaimed as Juliet placed the tray of food down with a sigh.

"Violet is fine, Jack." She said as calmly as she could. Jack shook his head.

"What the hell happened then? You tell me she's fine, after Mr. Friendly there barges in here in a panic to tell you something's wrong with her, and you tell me she's _fine?_" Jack yelled.

"She is fine, Jack. You can trust me." Juliet said softly. Jack shook his head disbelievingly.

"Trust you? No. I don't trust any of you!" He paused, and then stared at her with wide, demanding eyes. "I want to see her."

"Jack, you know I-"

"Dammit, I want to see Violet! I won't believe she is safe unless I see her with my own eyes!" Jack screamed out. Juliet stared at him, sensing a desparation in the man. He was truly concerned for the girl, and wouldn't believe the word of one of the Others. She knew Ben wouldn't approve, but there was a terrified girl in one room, and the one man who might be able to make her feel better was standing right in front of her.

Feeling rebellious, and angry at Ben for what he had done to Violet, she finally nodded.

"Alright Jack, I'll take you to see her." She said, as she stared at him seriously. "But no tricks, got it?" Jack nodded, remembering the time he attempted to escape, and knew better than to try anything like that. Not now, not when he needed to see for his own eyes Violet was safe.

He waited patiently against the wall of his cell as Juliet rounded the corner and came to unlock the door. He forced himself not to imagine what they had done to Violet, or what had happened, he could do nothing but wait until he saw her.

* * *

Violet sat cross-legged on the examining table, still connected to the respiration monitor. Juliet wanted to monitor her breathing for a bit longer to make sure everything was okay.

Violet found herself staring at the door every few moments, waiting for Juliet to return like she promised she would. Violet was terrified Ben would walk through those doors instead, and drag her, kicking and screaming, back to room 16.

She was careful not to move her right wrist, which was handcuffed to the table. Her wrists were still tender from the burns the metal had singed into her skin. She forced herself not to think about it.

She swallowed hard, trying desperately not to cry, trying hard not to think of Kate, Jack and Sawyer, and how much she needed them to get her out. She couldn't do it on her own. She was too vulnerable, too slow, too central to the plan to be let go that easily, though she didn't know it yet.

Violet wanted to see one of them, she would have even taken Sawyer at this point, just someone familiar to comfort her, tell her it would be okay, hug her. She needed a familiar face. She closed her eyes, remembering her life on the beach before the Others had ever broken through into their lives.

Violet had been sitting here for at least half an hour, still waiting for Juliet. Where was she? Her imaginating started running away with her. What if Ben had somehow found out about Juliet's promise to keep him away from Violet, and did something to Juliet to keep her from doing that? Violet swallowed, unsure what she was going to do if anybody but Juliet walked through those doors. What if Ben wanted to do it again? What if he thought she hadn't learned her lesson? Violet felt sick just thinking about it.

Finally, she heard the door's latch unhinge, and Juliet stood in the doorway, staring at her. Violet breathed out slowly.

"Violet, there's somebody here who wants to see you." Juliet said quietly. Violet's heart skipped a beat. What if it was Ben? Violet stared wild-eyed at the doorway, as Juliet turned and grabbed hold of something just outside the door frame. Then Violet saw him.

Juliet led Jack by the arm into the medical examining room. Only for a moment, Violet's and Jack's eyes locked, both caught in the moment of realizing the other was okay, safe, here. Juliet grabbed hold of the doorknob.

"I'll leave you two alone." She closed the door behind her and locked it. Jack swallowed and approached the girl who still had tears in her eyes.

"Hey." He said with as much of a smile he could muster. He immediately wondered why Violet was in a medical room, hooked up to a respiratory monitor. He tried not to show his curiosity or fear. He didn't want to frighten her more than she appeared, but she managed to smile a little when she saw him.

"Hi Jack." Violet replied. She looked sideways and saw Juliet watching them through the glass wall hovering over the medical room. She ignored her.

Jack noticed the bandages on her wrists, along with the handcuffs. He sighed.

"You okay?" Jack asked, holding Violet's wrist gently. Violet flinched a little from the pain, and Jack let go immediately.

"Juliet had to put the handcuffs on for safety. I, uh, tried to escape today." She replied. Jack leaned closer and stared at her seriously.

"Did they hurt you Violet?" He asked, nodding his head at Juliet. Violet began to cry a little.

"Not Juliet." She paused, looking up at Juliet for a slight moment, and back at Jack. "But _they_ did. Oh Jack, they, they..." She couldn't help it, she lost it, crying hysterically all over again. Emotions overpowering her. The pain of what she had been through, knowing Sawyer and Kate were up in cages, now seeing Jack, was all too much for her.

"Hey, it's going to be okay kiddo, I promise." Jack collected Violet in his arms and held her close. "We'll get you out of here okay?" Violet shook her head vigorously.

"That will never happen Jack, they won't let us go. I don't know why they want us, but this is my third time trying to escape. The first time, they _drugged_ me, and Ben told me if I ever tried again, there would be consequences. I was lucky the next time I tried, because Juliet caught me, and I don't know why, Jack, but she kept it a secret. But...this time...Juliet didn't catch me. And Ben..." Violet began to cry again. Jack looked seriously at Violet, holding her head in his hands, to force her to look at him.

"What did he do to you?" He asked, fearing the answer. He remembered how quickly Thom had burst through those doors to tell Juliet something was wrong with the girl. He knew it was serious, and now Violet was still hooked up to respiratory monitors with bandaged wrists. What the _hell_ had happened?

Violet continued to cry for a few moments, as her body began to tremble ever so slightly, as she somehow managed to convey every horrific detail to Jack, from how she escaped, to Pickett dragging her kicking and screaming to Room 16 where Ben had her strapped to an electric chair. Jack forced himself not to allow his rage to show. Violet was vulnerable and afraid right now, and he didn't want to make it worse for her, but he felt his own tears welling up.

"I'm sorry Violet." Jack said, and then he looked up and saw Juliet still watching from the glass wall. He turned back to Violet.

"I guess when you...blacked out...Thom came and got her," he motioned toward Juliet, "What did she do?" Violet sighed, shaking her head.

"I don't know, I was unconscious, but when I woke up, she was here." She seemed calm, just thinking about it. "She won't tell me why I passed out, or why I'm hooked up to this machine, but she...I don't know Jack, she seemed mad...at Ben. She told me she would keep him away from me, that she doesn't want to see me hurt." Jack laughed a little, causing Violet to stare at him curiously.

"Is that what she said to you?" He asked. "Violet, remember who she is, okay? Don't believe a word she, or _anybody_ says to you, got it? They took you, took _us._" Violet looked up at Juliet, who appeared as though she could hear what was going on. Violet leaned toward Jack.

"But Jack, I think she's different, I think-"

"Violet, I know how hard this has been for you, but you have to trust me on this. I will get you out of here. Just trust _nobody_ except the people you know have never lied to you. I promise you Violet, I'll get you out of here." Jack interrupted, as he saw out of the corner of his eye, Juliet leaving the observation platform. He knew she was coming to take him back to his cell.

"You mean, you'll get _all_ of us out of here right? I mean, you'll come too." She said, as more of a statement than a question. Jack smiled at her and patted her cheek.

"Right now, my first concern is getting you out of here." He said, as he heard the door behind him open. He knew Juliet was here, especially when he saw the look of sadness wash over Violet's face when she peered over his shoulder.

"But Jack, I want _all_ of us to get out of here." She whispered. "Even Sawyer." Jack laughed a little, which caused the smallest smile across Violet's face.

"Sorry Jack, I have to bring you back now." Juliet interrupted with a calm voice. Jack nodded, trying to keep his cool, for Violet's sake. He turned to Violet, who wrapped her free arm around his neck tightly.

"Please don't leave, Jack, I'm scared." She cried out.

"Hey." Jack pulled Violet away and stared at her. "It's gonna be okay. I'll see you again real soon okay?" Violet swallowed hard, bottling her tears, as she managed a meek nod. It killed Jack to walk away from her, leaving her alone, handcuffed to a table, fearing for her safety.

As Juliet quietly led him back to his cell, he vowed he would get Violet out of here even if he died trying. But his thoughts were soon distracted when he saw, hanging on the wall, an x-ray of a man. Jack's heart skipped a beat as he examined it for a brief moment before he was pulled out of the room. He was a spinal surgeon, and he knew whoever that x-ray belonged to was in trouble.


	8. The Truth Revealed

**Chapter Eight: The Truth Revealed**

Jack was pacing back and forth in his cell, clouded by the thoughts plaguing his mind. Was Violet alright? Was Ben staying away from her? Would he try to pull that stunt on her again? What were those x-rays? _Who_ did they belong to? How ironic was it that somebody here had a near inoperable tumor on their spine, and they just _happened_ to abduct a spinal surgeon.

Jack was beginning to theorize this was the reason he had been taken, but why did they want Kate or Sawyer, or even Violet? She seemed to have no real purpose here, it made no sense to him.

He wondered how he was going to get them out. He already promised Violet he would get her out of here, but he had no idea how he was going to do it. Frustrated, he punched his fist against the glass aggressively.

"Hello Jack." A familiar voice said through the glass. Jack looked up and saw the face of Ben staring at him through the glass. Jack looked at him for only a second before he shook his head.

"You son of a -"

"I understand you're upset about what happened to Violet, Jack, but you have to understand the situation." Ben interrupted.

"The situation? What you did to her was...You're a monster!" Jack yelled out. Ben remained composed.

"I don't suppose an apology would help." He said as his eyes never left Jack's. Jack shook his head with a laugh.

"No." He said simply, as he began pacing in his cell, ignoring Ben. Ben simply watched him for some time before he spoke up again.

"Jack, I know you saw those x-rays yesterday, after Juliet took you to see Violet." Ben said, with an obvious tone of disapproval. Jack had forgotten those x-rays, but immediately remembered them when Ben mentioned them. Jack continued to pace.

"It wasn't intended for you to see them, but Juliet had to ruin that by taking you to see Violet." Ben pointed out. Jack snapped his head up.

"Well, I wouldn't have been brought there if you hadn't hurt her in the first place!" Jack exclaimed. Ben sighed.

"Touche, I suppose." He paused. "Now it's out in the open." Jack looked up.

"You know Ben, I'm not stupid. I don't buy this whole story about how I wasn't supposed to see those x-rays, that just _happened_ to be hanging out for _anyone_ to see. And hey, I just _happen_ to be a spinal surgeon, and someone here has a tumor on their spine." He snapped. Ben stared at him through those piercing blue eyes and nodded his head.

"I guess that's a fair assumption. It didn't quite work out the way we had originally planned though. You _were_ meant to see those x-rays, Jack, but there was a wonderful plan to break you first. Now I have to ask you straight out if you'll perform the surgery." He said. Jack looked at him.

"Who is it?" He asked. Ben never lost eye contact, but he seemed apprehensive and vulnerable.

"Me." He replied. Jack shook his head with a bit of a laugh.

"You want me to save your life?" He asked. Ben waited for a moment while Jack had his laugh.

"Yes, but for a fair price. Jack, if you perform this surgery on me, I promise you, I will let you go home." Jack's attention was caught once again, remembering when Ben had shown him the Red Sox win the world series. Jack shook his head, disbelievingly.

"Jack do you believe in God?" Ben finally asked. Jack looked at him and shook his head.

"What does that have to do with anything?" He wanted to know. Ben walked a little closer to the glass and looked up into Jack's eyes.

"Two days after I found out I had a tumor on my spine, a spinal surgeon fell from the sky." Ben said, his voice shaking a little. Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing, but he forced himself to listen. After a long pause, he finally cracked a small smile.

"If that's not proof of God," Ben said, "I don't know what is."

* * *

_She could still feel the cold, rough fingers digging into her arm as he pulled her, screaming, down the familiar green corridor. She recognized this hallway immediately. Tears began leaking down her face when she saw the number '16' marked on the furthest door. She tried pulling away from those tough, strong arms, but it was no use._

_The door opened, and Sawyer, Jack and Kate were strapped to those same chairs, and an empty chair was beside them. Violet turned and saw Ben sitting in the corner of the room._

_"Hello Violet," Ben stood and walked out of the shadows, "We've been waiting for you."_

* * *

Violet woke up with a scream, and began to cry as she struggled to find her breath. She immediately felt hands grabbing her arms gently to steady her, and she faintly heard a voice.

"Hey, calm down, it's okay, it was just a nightmare." Violet focused her eyes and saw Juliet sitting on the bed with her, holding her. Violet breathed out slowly and wiped her eyes on her arm to clear away the tears, seeing her gauzed wrists, causing her to shiver.

"Are you alright Violet?" Juliet asked, as she finally let go of Violet's arms. Violet breathed out, shuddering as she did.

"I want to see Kate. I want to see Jack. I want to get as far away from _him_ as possible, please Juliet." Violet couldn't control the tears stinging at her eyes. Juliet could only look at her and shake her head. Violet didn't argue. She knew better than to expect Juliet to help her get out of here, but she couldn't help but wonder why Juliet looked so upset about it.

"Violet, listen, I know this is hard for you. I am doing everything I possibly can to keep Ben away from you, but you have _really_ got to trust me. If you stay here, and don't do anything to make him angry, he will stay away from you, but I can't always be here to protect you from him. Now I'm in charge of Jack too, so I can't always be around to make sure it's me who catches you and not them. I told you before you can trust me. I _want_ you to trust me, but you have got to promise me you won't try escaping again. Can I trust you to do that Violet?" Juliet said as she kept eye contact with Violet. Violet swallowed and finally nodded.

"I won't do it again. I mean...he could_ kill_ me next time." Violet shuddered at the thought. Juliet put her hand over Violet's shaking hand.

"I won't lie to you, you're right. He could. He doesn't intend to, but it could be accidental. Please be careful, and stay put, that's all I ask." Juliet nodded. Violet exhaled loudly.

"None of this would have happened if..." She stopped, and realized it was Juliet she was talking to, still one of the _Others._ Juliet puckered her brow.

"If what?" She asked. Violet looked away but Juliet persisted. "Why don't you tell me what's on your mind, Violet? I told you you can trust me." Violet sighed, feeling tears stinging in her eyes, as the anger that had been boiling inside of her for 71 days finally reached its surface, and she snapped.

"Him! The man who _claims_ to be my father! He may have given me half his genes, but he is _no_ father of mine! It's his fault I'm here! It's his fault we crashed on this island! It's his fault Ben tried to kill me! It's his fault my sister is dead!" Violet was screaming, as tears streamed down her face. "It's his fault Walt's gone, it's his fault everything that ever meant anything in my life is gone! He killed my mother, he killed Katie, and now he's killing me too! I hate him! I hate-" Juliet grabbed hold of Violet's arms and held her steady.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, relax." She said as she gave Violet a small shake. "He's not here either, just calm down." Violet exhaled loudly, regretting her outburst immediately. How could she show so much vulnerability to these people? She tried to hold close to what Jack and Kate had told her about not trusting the Others, not even Juliet, but it was hard to remember when Juliet was right in front of her, and Violet had nobody else to talk to.

"Why do you blame your father for everything, Violet?" Juliet asked after a few moments, once Violet had calmed down a little bit. Violet kept her mouth shut, not feeling as clouded by emotions anymore, and looked away, not willing to share anymore.

"Is it because he left your mother and Katie when your mom was pregnant with you?" Juliet asked, not surprised when Violet looked up in surprise.

"How did you know that?" She asked, feeling like she shouldn't be surprised, considering Juliet seemed to know everything about her. The Others had a _file_ on her, after all.

"He was the reason you and Katie got on the plane to LA, wasn't it? He wanted to see you, and that's how you ended up on Oceanic Flight 815, the same flight that crashed, landed you here, and claimed Katie's life, all because of one phone call from your father." Juliet said with sad eyes. "Is that how you're feeling, Violet?" Violet stared at Juliet, biting her lip and holding in the tears, as she nodded. Juliet was the first person to hear about Violet's anger toward her father, and now _understand_ it. _Kate would have understood too, if I had had the chance to tell her._

"If you know so much about my life, then you must know about people involved in my life." Violet said quietly. Juliet nodded.

"What would you like to know, Violet?" She asked. Violet swallowed hard and looked away.

"Why...why did _he_ want to see me? After 14 years, why?" Juliet looked at her with sad eyes.

"Do you really want to know?" She asked. Violet nodded after a short pause. She wasn't sure she really did want to know, but she waited, until Juliet began the story Violet never heard.

"Your father left your mother for another woman in Los Angeles. He met her on a business trip right before your mother found out she was pregnant with you. Katie was the only one to find out. After your dad left for L.A., Katie found letters in a box that your dad forgot when he moved; letters to Trina, the woman he met in L.A. Katie never told anybody about it; your mom never knew.

"Your dad married Trina, and they both had their careers. They didn't have children together, and your dad never talked about his old life. About his ex-wife, or his two daughters.

"When your mother died, your dad didn't go to the funeral, because he didn't want to upset his new wife, but he sent money. The money that paid for the funeral itself and all the arrangements. You were too young to realize what was going on, and Katie always wondered who covered all the arrangements.

"About five or six years later, Trina left your father for another man, and it broke your father's heart. It was then that he finally realized what he had done to his family, you and Katie especially. He couldn't make amends with your mother, but he thought he could at least try to make things right with his daughters. That's why he called you fourteen years later." Juliet stopped and tried the expression on Violet's face, but it was so difficult to interpret.

Violet stared at Juliet, emotionless, for it was such a shock to her, she didn't know _how_ to feel. She swallowed, as she tried to relive her whole childhood, filling in the missing pieces. She still felt anger and hatred toward him, he _had_ made the decision to leave, and he left them for another woman and another life, but according to Juliet, he was sorry. Violet shook her head.

"Where is he now?" She asked, in a quiet voice. "Does...does he know about the crash?" Juliet nodded.

"He _knew_ about the crash. After Oceanic Flight 815 crashed, news reports came out, claiming nobody had survived. Your dad waited at the airport, hopeful he had mixed up the flights, but you never got off the plane. He waited three weeks, for any kind of news or hope, but there was nothing.

"He blamed himself for what he thought was the death of both his daughters. He just couldn't take the blame." Violet's stomach sank, as she leaned forward a little, swallowing hard.

"What do you mean, he couldn't take the blame. What...what did he do?" She feared she already knew the answer, but she forced herself to listen. Juliet sighed, shaking her head.

"He took his own life." She paused, looking away from the tears that were glistening in Violet's eyes. "I'm sorry, Violet."

Violet was unsure what to do with the emotions she was feeling inside of her. The anger churned, the sadness burned, the confusion pulled at every part of her, trying to make sense of everything she had just heard. The anger she had always felt toward the man she blamed for everything, the man she never wanted to see for as long as she lived was now dead. She got her wish, but now, she was even more confused. He had _felt_ something toward her. He had _wanted_ to make things right. He had been so depressed at the concept of their death, he killed himself. Violet swallowed hard, feeling her throat burn with emotion.

"Did he...did he love me?" She shook as the tears threatened to escape. She held her breath while Juliet waited for a moment, before she smiled just a little bit.

"Yes, Violet." She nodded. "He never stopped loving you." Violet closed her eyes and the tears leaked out down her cheeks, and she buried her face in her knees as she began to cry. She expected Juliet to leave her alone, but Juliet never left. She sat there, and waited, to make sure Violet would be okay.


	9. Visitors

**Chapter Nine: Visitors**

Jack paced back and forth with Ben's x-rays in his hands, observing them and scanning them over and over again to decide the diagnosis. Ben waited patiently on the other side of the glass, while Juliet stood by the door. Jack knew the tumor had progressed rapidly, and it was very malignant at this stage. This man standing opposite the glass was close to death.

Jack finally looked up to see Ben staring at him, waiting for a diagnosis or a report or something. Jack shook his head.

"You should have been in surgery a week ago." He said as he closed the folder, dropping it on the floor. Ben nodded.

"We've got all the equipment you'll need. Anesthetic, stitches-" Jack started to laugh. Ben paused.

"What's so funny?" He questioned. Jack shook his head.

"It's like you're assuming I agreed to do the surgery. Because, I want to make this clear. I didn't say I would do the surgery. I wanted you to know how bad this was so that you would know exactly how you would die." He said, feeling no emotion. Ben stared at him emotionless as well.

"Don't you want to go home, Jack?" He asked. Jack shook his head.

"I don't believe you'll take me home." He replied.

"I'm a man who keeps my promises."

"Yeah you keep saying that."

"You don't believe me."

"Give me a reason to."

"I already told you, every promise I made to Violet, I've kept."

"I don't believe _that_ either." Jack turned away, and Ben stared at his back for a moment, before he exhaled and turned to Juliet.

"Juliet, bring her." He said calmly. Juliet stared at him defiantly for a moment.

"Ben, I'm not sure-"

"Just do it." Ben turned back to Jack, as Juliet shook her head, but with no other choice, left the room.

"I'll also remind you I kept my word to Michael." Ben pointed out. Jack shook his head.

"Don't talk to me about Michael."

"He wanted his son back, I gave him his son back." Ben searched for some expression on Jack's face, but he was expressionless. That was, until, Jack looked over Ben's shoulder with wide eyes. Ben smiled to himself, knowing Violet was here.

Ben turned to see Juliet holding on to Violet's arm, which was trembling as she turned her face away. She could not even look at Ben.

"Violet, come here a minute." Ben said. Violet looked up quickly, as her heart skipped a beat. She knew Jack was here, but he was on the other side of the glass. He couldn't protect her.

Violet noticed Juliet let go of her arm, but Violet didn't move.

"Violet, don't be so shy." Ben offered a smile, but Violet couldn't move. Finally, Juliet bent down to whisper in Violet's ear.

"It's okay, he won't hurt you. I won't let him. Go ahead." She said softly. Violet obeyed, not knowing what else to do, approaching Ben nervously, staring at Jack behind the glass.

"Come on down, Violet." Ben put his arm around Violet's shoulders, pulling her right in front of the glass.

"Don't touch her, you bastard!" Jack muttered. Ben removed his arm, respecting Jack's wishes.

"Alright then, there's no need for anger. I just want to ask Violet a few questions." Ben turned to Violet, who stared only at Jack, trying to control her shaking hands.

"Violet, have I ever broken a promise to you?" Ben asked. Violet puckered her brow, wondering why he was asking her this.

"I-"

"When you escaped the first time and found Walt, you wanted to see him. I promised you that if you did as we asked you that day, you could see him. Did I let you see Walt?" Ben asked. Violet could do nothing else but nod. There was no denying the truth.

"You also told me that you wanted to see Kate. I promised you that day you would see her soon. Didn't I let you go up to the rocks to see her?" Ben asked. Violet nodded again, feeling tears well up in her eyes.

"And what about that other promise I made to you. Did I break that promise?" He asked, with a little edge in his voice. Violet shivered, remembering the electrical chair, and shook her head vigourously.

"Okay enough, Ben." Juliet said, as she approached Violet quickly. Ben stared at Juliet, who stared back defiantly. He nodded.

"Alright then, I think Jack gets the point. Thank you Violet, you can go now." He said. Juliet took hold of Violet's arm and began leading her toward the door, but Violet tore free, and banged on the glass.

"Jack, you have to get me out of here! Please, get us out! I want to go back! I want to go back!" Violet shouted as Juliet's hands grabbed hold of Violet's arms, pulling her away, crying, as Jack could do nothing but watch. Ben turned back to Jack, as Violet and Juliet disappeared through the door.

"Maybe that's changed your mind?" He asked. Jack shook his head.

"I'm not doing the surgery. I don't care if you _are_ a man of your word. As far as I'm concerned, you deserve to die." Jack punched his fist against the glass, and turned his back to Ben, trying to think about how he was going to get them all out of this mess.

* * *

Kate was falling in and out of sleep, as she laid on the hard stone inside her cage. She couldn't stop thinking about Violet. It had been a full day and a half since Pickett took the girl kicking and screaming, and there had still been no word. Kate hadn't seen Pickett since, and the people who were bringing them food never told them anything.

_What if they killed her?_ Kate couldn't bring herself to believe that was true, but she couldn't help but wonder. What if the whole reason Violet had been taken was as bait for Jack, Kate and Sawyer? If that were true, there was no use for Violet anymore.

Kate rolled over on her side, feelings tears threatening to escape, when she saw somebody was standing in front of her cage. Kate recognized her immediately. It was the blonde woman, the one Violet had called Juliet, the one who had apparently kept Violet's escape a secret. Kate jumped up and walked over to Juliet.

"Where is she?" Kate asked with wild eyes. Her hands were shaking, she could feel it, and felt her heart hammering against her chest as Juliet stared back unemotionally. Juliet offered the smallest smile.

"Violet's okay, Kate, I can promise you that." She said.

"What did you do to her!" Kate yelled out.

"I didn't do anything to her." Juliet replied.

"I saw the way Pickett took her out of here yesterday! You can't tell me nothing happened!"

"Listen, Kate, like I said, Violet's okay, but if you don't help us, she won't be." Kate stopped, and she stared back at Juliet with scared eyes.

"What?" She asked. Juliet sighed to herself, knowing everything she was about to say would be a lie, but it was all part of Ben's sick plan. She had no choice.

"Ben is going to kill Violet." Juliet replied, staring right at Kate. Kate stopped breathing for a moment as her eyes widened and she stared at Juliet with frightened eyes.

"He...what? I..." Kate felt tears stinging her eyes.

"You can stop it, Kate. I know how much you care about her."

"How?" Kate was so frightened, and felt helpless, locked inside this cage when there was a madman out there planning to _kill_ Violet.

"I'll explain everything on the way." Juliet took out a key and unlocked Kate's cage. "Right now, I need you to put this on." Juliet handed Kate a small burlap sack that Kate recalled being pulled over her head right before they drugged her and brought her, Sawyer and Jack to this place.

Kate stared at Juliet, sensing the seriousness of the situation. She wasn't sure what she could possibly do to save Violet's life, as she was locked in this cage 24/7, but if there was a chance, no matter how small it was, she would take it.

Kate looked over at Sawyer, who was watching with curious eyes, but Kate ignored him, as she took the sack and placed it over her head.

* * *

Juliet led Kate through the winding green corridors in the basement of the Hydra, after having filled her in on what she was to do to save Violet's life. Juliet cringed at the thought. Ben had no intention of killing Violet. True, that had been the original plan, if Jack hadn't obliged to the surgery, especially since Violet wasn't on Jacob's original list. That had been the plan since before they even abducted the girl, but the more Ben saw the connection forming between Walt and Violet, he became curious. Juliet couldn't argue, it had sparked her curiousity from the beginning as well. A girl, having no special talent like Walt had, came to the island, and right after losing her sister, met Walt. Juliet couldn't understand it anymore than Ben could, but somehow, from the moment the two kids met, something happened. The only way Ben could explain it was that something had passed from Walt on to Violet. Violet was already showing signs of being able to sense things happening. Juliet could remember the first time Walt was mentioned. Violet had known Walt was in the building the whole time, just by a feeling she had. Ben had no intention of killing Violet now. He wanted to keep her, to find out what made her so special. Why the island "chose" her to have such a gift, was what Ben said. Juliet didn't believe any of that.

"This way Kate." Juliet pulled Kate around a corner. She wasn't sure how Jack would react to this. She knew how much Jack and Kate both cared about Violet. From their earliest days on the island, Juliet knew from the observation tapes and reports that Violet had gone through several rough patches, and both Jack and Kate had been there to see her through. Would those same feelings force Jack to do the surgery for Ben?

Juliet opened the door to the room adjacent to Jack's cell, and before she led Kate inside, she leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"I hope you can do something to save Violet's life, Kate." She pulled Kate inside, and stopped her right in front of the glass. Jack noticed immediately, walking up to the glass, and pressing his hands up against the glass curiously. Juliet removed the sack from Kate's head, and watched as Kate and Jack stared at each other for a moment, seeing each other for the first time since they had been captured.

"I'll give you two some privacy." Juliet took the burlap sack with her and left the two alone, with a wall of glass separating the two prisoners. Jack gave Kate a small smile as he breathed out, a sigh of relief.

"Hey." He said quietly. "You alright?" Kate managed a small nod.

"Yeah, you?" She asked. Jack looked around and gave her a smirk.

"Terrific." He paused. "Where are they keeping you?"

"Outside, in cages."

"Kate, Violet's okay. I don't know if you've seen her, but-"

"I've seen her, but she tried to escape. They caught her. This guy, Pickett, he grabbed her and dragged her off screaming. I haven't seen her since."

"I have, she's alright. She's scared though. That bastard, Ben, what he did to her-"

"What the hell did he do?"

"Kate, I don't think-"

"Just tell me Jack!"

Jack sighed, staring into Kate's eyes. As much as Jack didn't want to tell Kate what had happened, they were all in this together, and they had made a deal some time ago to be honest with each other. Jack knew how much Kate cared about Violet, and he couldn't lie to her about it, no matter how upset it would make her.

Jack explained everything, as much as he knew from what Violet had told him, and it hurt him to see the tears in Kate's eyes.

"Hey, she's okay." Jack tried to assure her.

"She's not okay, Jack! These people are monsters. She's in danger!" Kate cried out.

"Kate, I understand you're upset because of what they did to her, but I've seen her. She's shaken up, but physically, there's nothing-"

"Jack, you have to do this surgery!" Jack puckered his brow as he stepped back. How the hell did _she_ know about the surgery? Worse, why was she trying to convince him to do it?

"What?"

"This surgery they want you to do. You have to do it. If you don't-"

"What did they do to you, Kate? What did they do to put you up to this?" Jack was getting angry.

"Nothing, Jack, I..." Kate was crying now, unable to control it.

"What did they do to you?" Jack yelled out again. Kate only shook her head, overcome by emotions.

"Tell me Kate!"

"They're gonna kill Violet, Jack!" Kate finally screamed out, shaking from the emotions. Jack stared at her for a minute, shocked and wide-eyed. He didn't say a word, he just stared at her.

"I'm sorry Jack, but they told me if I could convince you to do this thing, they would let us all go. That they wouldn't...kill her." Kate said, tears streaming down her face.

"And you believed them?" Jack asked. Kate sighed, blinking away the tears in her eyes.

"I have to. If there's a chance of getting her away from here, alive, Jack, I have try." Kate paused. "Please, Jack." Jack stopped and looked up at the rotating camera that was watching them. He shook his head at Kate.

"We're done." He looked up at the camera and began shouting. "We're done in here!" He turned his back to Kate and walked away.

"Jack, please!" Kate yelled, pressing her hands up on the glass. "Jack, please!" Kate continued to cry as Jack continued to ignore her. "Please Jack. They'll kill her! They will!" Kate continued to beg Jack, up until Juliet entered the room and took her out. Once the door was shut, Juliet stopped Kate in the hallway.

"Listen, I'm sorry you couldn't convince him." Juliet paused, looking up the corridor. "She's been pretty scared lately. I think it would really make her feel better if she saw you. But Kate, if I take you to see her, you can't say a word about this to her. I'll be watching." Juliet watched Kate's reaction. Kate didn't know what to think. She was scared for Violet, unsure what Jack was going to do, feeling helpless herself, but needing to see with her own eyes that Violet was still alright.

She nodded her agreement, knowing she would never tell Violet anyway. The girl was already scared out of her mind, Kate didn't want to make things worse for her. Not when there was still hope. Kate could only hope Jack would come to his senses.

Juliet led Kate down more corridors, after putting the sack back on Kate's head. Kate tried to keep in mind which directions she was being led to, but even if she could remember, it wasn't like there would ever be a chance for Kate to get down here.

Kate sighed out loud, feeling tears stinging her eyes at the thought of Ben killing Violet. It was too much to think about.

Juliet finally stopped and pulled the sack off of Kate's head. Kate saw a heavy steel door in front of her, and Juliet let go of Kate's arm just long enough to unlock the door. Before Juliet opened the heavy door, she turned back to Kate.

"I can't give you much time. Just make sure you don't say anything."

"I won't." Kate said through her teeth. Juliet nodded, and opened the door, pushing Kate inside gently, shutting the door behind her.

Kate swallowed hard when she saw Violet sitting cross-legged on a white bed, writing in a book of some sort. Kate cringed when she saw the gauze wrapped around Violet's wrists. Violet hadn't even looked up. _She probably thinks I'm one of them._ Kate sighed, and walked forward. That was when Violet finally looked up.

"Kate?" Violet jumped up and ran into Kate's open arms. "What are you doing here?" Kate didn't answer, she just held Violet close.

"Are you alright? Jack told me what they did." Kate whispered, as she saw Juliet on the other side of the glass. Violet pulled away and stared at Kate with wide eyes.

"You saw Jack?" Violet peered over at Juliet and then back at Kate. "Why is she letting you see us?"

"I don't know, but I'm glad." Kate sighed. "Are you okay?" Violet didn't even need to answer, Kate could tell by the expression on Violet's face she was far from okay.

"I'm scared, Kate." Violet lowered her voice to a low whisper, as she knew Juliet was watching from the other side of the glass. "Jack told you what Ben did to me. I'm scared he'll do something again." Kate felt her stomach jolt. She peered over at Juliet, who gave her a look of warning. Kate sighed and offered Violet a smile.

"We'll get out of here, Violet. Before you know it, we'll be back on the beach, and-"

"Don't, Kate! I'm tired of hearing it. Both you and Jack keep saying that, but it's not going to happen! These people all have guns, we don't. There's four of us, and who knows how many of them? It's hopeless!" Violet sat back down on her bed. Kate followed her, grabbed hold of the girl's shoulders, and gave her a firm shake.

"Stop it, Violet! You're stronger than that!" Kate paused, as Violet shook her head. "What would Katie say?" Violet looked up, surprised at Kate's question. Kate didn't like bringing up Violet's dead sister, especially because it was still a fresh wound, but whatever would help Violet to quit being so pessimistic.

Violet sighed and forced back her tears.

"She'd say what you're saying." She said quietly. Kate smiled.

"Jack and I _both_ promised we'll get you out of here, and we'll do it, just trust us." Violet managed a small nod, as she saw out of the corner of her eye, Juliet leaving the room beyond the glass.

"She's coming back now." Violet said sadly.

"I'll see you again real soon, okay?" Kate asked as the heavy door opened behind her, and Juliet walked in. Violet managed a small nod, as she ran into Kate's arms again.

"Just stay strong okay? Don't give up so easily." Kate said in a quiet voice as Juliet waited by the door. Violet nodded, as she swallowed her tears.

Kate managed a smile for Violet, as Juliet led her out of the room, locking Violet inside that room, alone and frightened.

It was everything Kate could do to keep herself from crying as Juliet placed the sack back over Kate's head, and led her back up to the cages. Kate couldn't help but wonder if Juliet was right. What if Jack really wouldn't do the surgery? _They'll kill her!_ Kate wondered to herself if that was the last time she would ever see Violet. She could only hope Jack would agree to do the surgery. It all rested upon his shoulders now.

* * *

Jack had been sitting in silence all day, with nothing to reflect upon but what Kate had told him earlier. Was she right? Was Ben really going to kill Violet if he didn't do the surgery, or was it all just a trick to get Jack to do the surgery. Jack wasn't sure, but what he knew for sure was how easy it was for these monsters to kill people. Jack still had the horrible image of Charlie left hanging from a tree, meant to die. He knew they wouldn't hesitate to kill Violet, or anybody else.

But what if it was all just an act? What if Jack really did decide to do the surgery, and Ben had them _all_ killed anyway? What if Ben would keep his promise, and let them all go? Let Sawyer, Kate and Violet go back to the beach? Let him go back home, to LA?

Jack sighed out loud, unsure and frustrated, but concerned for Violet's life. Kate was right - he _had_ to do the surgery. He would tell Ben he would do the surgery first thing in the morning once he came back to Jack's cell. But what Ben wouldn't know was that Jack would do the surgery _his_ way. He made a promise to get Violet out of here, and he would do _whatever_ it took to keep that promise.


	10. Jack's Plan

**Chapter Ten: Jack's Plan**

Jack found himself in the familiar position of scrubbing his hands up to his elbows the next morning as he was dressed in scrubs, and ready to perform the surgery on the man who was in the next room, waiting. He remembered the previous day when he had finally told Ben he would do the surgery, if he could have his word he would get off the island for good. Ben had promised, but what Ben didn't know, was that Jack had a plan to get the others out safely before the surgery was completed.

Jack was soon joined by Juliet, but Jack remained silent. He had his own thoughts racing through his mind. He still wasn't completely sure if he had made the right decision, but he did have a plan; whether or not it would work was another thing to think about, but he had to try something. If it meant Violet's life might be saved, it was a risk he knew he would have to take.

"You alright, Jack?" Juliet asked, as she scrubbed her own hands, and donned her mask. Jack shrugged.

"Let's just get this over with." He replied, as he entered the operating room, the same room wher he had seen Violet for the first time, right after she had been shocked unconscious by the same man he was about to operate on. Jack forced himself not to think about it.

"Hello Jack." Ben's voice echoed throughout the room, as he lay on the operating table, face down, ready to go. "Once again, I'd like to thank you for changing your mind about this." Jack didn't answer, he just prepared the anesthetic quietly, as he kept himself focused on the goal of what he was doing.

"Start counting down from 100, Ben." Jack said quietly as he injected the anesthetic into Ben's IV. Jack waited patiently, as Ben began counting, and Jack thought of nothing more than Violet's safety, and his ticket off of this hell hole of an island.

It wasn't long before Ben was asleep, and Jack began the complicated surgery he had done so many times before. Only this time, his nerves were slightly shot; he had a plan to carry out, and he wasn't sure how well it would work.

Ten minutes had passed, and Jack was comfortable and aware of his surroundings. He had Juliet right across the operating table from him, another guy Jack hadn't met before beside him, and Tom up in the same observation room Juliet had watched him and Violet talk to each other only days earlier.

The surgery had started out simply enough, Ben was safely under anesthetic, and Jack had already made the incision into Ben's spine. Jack could feel the sweat beading on his forehead, as he concentrated hard on the surgery at hand. He barely heard himself asking Juliet for the required instruments he needed for the operation. He barely noticed when the other guy dabbed the sweat off of Jack's forehead.

Then his moment came.

Juliet had turned her back. The other guy was busying himself with adjusting Ben's IV. Jack swallowed hard, and quickly made a smal incision in Ben's kidney sack. His heart stopped when he heard Ben's heart monitor begin to beep quickly. He knew he'd be able to fix it, but he felt a brief moment of guilt for inflicting this injury onto another human being. He forced himself in those few seconds to think of Violet's singed wrists, and Kate's tears as she had told him they would kill the teenager if Jack didn't do the surgery. It was Jack's turn to be in charge.

"What happened?" Juliet asked worriedly, as she turned to stare at the heart monitor, which was out of control. Jack kept his ground.

"That's not supposed to happen, is it?" The other guy asked, as he approached Jack, with a hint of anger in his voice. Jack reacted quickly, punching the man out cold, who fell to the floor with a crash.

"Jack!" Juliet yelled out. Jack turned to Juliet in a controlled manner.

"Back away from the table." He ordered.

"Jack-"

"Back away from the table!" Jack was screaming now. Juliet complied, with no fear in her eyes, just concern. Jack looked up quickly to see Tom staring into the room with shock and fear.

"Can you hear me up there?" Jack yelled. Tom could only nod, and Jack stared at him, and then at Juliet.

"Alright, good. I just put a small incision in Ben's kidney sack. If I don't sew that up in the next hour, he dies!" Jack paused, allowing the news to sink in. "I will _let_ him die if you don't let Kate and Sawyer go! Let them out of those jungle cages or whatever they are, and let them go back to where we came from, peacefully and with no danger following them! You do that, I'll sew up Ben's kidney sack and continue with the operation!" Jack waited, as Tom stared down at Juliet, who had nothing to say. She just stared at Jack and shook her head.

"You! Call up one of your guys and get them down to those cages. I want them out of there in three minutes! Then I want to talk to them." Jack yelled up to Tom, breathing out heavily. "Get on it!"

* * *

It was early in the morning, and a few of the Others had come to let Kate and Sawyer out of their cages to bring them down to the quarry to start hauling rocks again. Kate was still thinking hard about Violet, and about the seriousness of what Juliet had said to her. Had Jack decided to do the surgery after all? Was Violet still alive? Kate forced herself not to think about it.

The two men who had come for Sawyer and Kate were ones Kate had only seen a few times. It was usually Tom and Pickett. Kate immediately worried, as she remembered the way Pickett had dragged Violet away from here only days ago. Where the _hell_ was he? Did it have something to do with Violet, or the surgery? Kate immediately worried.

As they were walking toward the quarry, the one guy's walkie went off.

"Jim, pick up! Jim, pick up now!" Jim stared at the other guy, whose name was Sam, before he picked up. Sam kept his rifle pointed at Kate and Sawyer, who stared at each other curiously.

"What do you want Tom?" Jim asked.

"You got Kate and Sawyer with you by any chance Jim?" Tom asked over the talkie.

"Yeah, we're takin' 'em to the quarry, why?" Jim asked.

"You gotta let them go."

"What?" Kate and Sawyer exchanged looks.

"You heard me, Jim! The doctor's stopped the surgery on Ben. You gotta let them go, or else he's gonna let Ben die!" Tom yelled out.

"How the hell do I know whether or not you're serious!"

"Why the hell would I joke about this Jim, now give Kate the walkie!" Jim hesitated for quite some time, as he look over at Sam, who never took his eyes off of Kate and Sawyer.

Finally, Jim thrust the walkie into Kate's hand. Kate didn't know what to do, or what was going on, but she waited as she held the walkie, with Sam still holding the rifle up to the two losties.

"Kate, are you there?" Kate jumped when she heard Jack's voice.

"Jack, what's going on? You're doing the surgery?" Kate asked, as rain begin to pour down from the sky.

"Kate, listen to me. You have about an hour's head start. I want you to radio me when you're safe. Do you remember that story I told you our first day on the island? Tell me that when you're safe!" Jack replied quickly. Kate stared at Sawyer in disbelief, as she held the walkie tightly.

"Jack, what are you talking about?"

"You have an hour to get the _hell_ away from these people!" Jack said again. Kate begin to cry.

"What about Violet? What about _you!_" She screamed out.

"Don't worry about me! I'll get Violet to you somehow, but first you have got to start running now! Trust me, Kate, it will be okay! But you have got to start running now!" Jack yelled out. Kate stood there shaking, as Sam and Jim exchanged glances. All of a sudden, Sawyer hurled his fist at Sam, grabbed his rifle and knocked Jim out with it. Kate stared at him with wide eyes.

"You heard Jack," Sawyer grabbed Kate's wrist. "Let's go!"

* * *

Jack placed the walkie down and turned to Juliet, who was standing perfectly still. Tom couldn't take his eyes off of Ben's heart monitor.

"Go get Violet, and bring her to Kate." Jack said sternly. Juliet shook her head.

"No, Jack, I won't be doing that." She replied calmly. Jack approached her with wild eyes, but Juliet never flinched.

"Maybe you didn't hear me correctly. I will let him die!" Jack shouted out. Juliet stared at him with cold, blue eyes, as she shook her head. As the two stared at each other, they suddenly heard a third voice mumbling.

"Juliet." Both Juliet and Jack immediately stared at Tom, who obviously hadn't said anything. He was staring at Ben. Jack's stomach dropped. How was Ben awake?

"I know what you did Jack." Ben said weakly, slowly and monotonously. "I should've seen it coming." Jack knew Ben would be in pain, and he would be conscious of the fact that he was slowly dying. A hint of guilt stung at Jack.

"I need a moment to speak to Juliet, alone." Ben asked quietly. Jack hesitated a great deal as he stared at Juliet. He relented, but made Juliet promise not to touch Ben, or try to stitch it up, because she wouldn't be able to anyway. Finally, Jack allowed them to have three minutes alone.

He waited up in the observation room with Tom, who never said a word. Jack watched the interaction between Juliet and Ben. Whatever Ben was saying to Juliet had her in tears. Jack's curiosity was sparked, but not enough to overpower his primary concern of getting Violet, Kate and even Sawyer safely away from this place forever.

Finally, Juliet left the operating room, as Jack came back down and approached her. She dried a quick tear and stared at him seriously.

"I would like for you to go back in there, stitch Ben up and complete the surgery." She said quietly. Jack smiled and shook his head.

"I think you're missing the point of what I'm doing here. So why would I do that?" He asked. Juliet sighed.

"Because Jack," She paused, "I'm going to bring Violet to Kate and Sawyer, and help them all to escape."


	11. The Escape

Violet sat cross-legged on her bed, stifling a yawn. She had only woken up moments ago, unsure of what time it was, or how long she had slept. She had become accustomed to the time of day by the location of the sun when she had been on the beach. Those days now seemed so hazy and distant, now that she no longer had the luxury of seeing the sun whenever she wanted to. The closest she had come was the time Juliet had brought her out to see Kate, and the time she had tried escaping and was dragged away to a horrible fate. Violet let out a sigh.

She wondered to herself what was happening. Yesterday she had been surprised by Kate's presence in her cell. She couldn't figure out why Juliet had let Kate seen Jack and then seen Violet. It seemed to be against every rule the Others had set, especially judging by how nervous everyone seemed to be when Violet had been allowed to see Walt for the first time.

Violet fought back tears as she thought of her friend Walt. She couldn't feel him close to her anymore. Not like those days on the beach where they stood, staring out at the ocean, letting the water envelope their feet and ankles. Not like the day she first said goodbye to Walt, when he and his father drifted away on the raft. Not like the day she began to feel Walt's presence so strongly when she herself had been captured and held against her will here. Now, she didn't know where he was, or if he was safe, or even if she would ever see him again. She felt empty.

She didn't even jump when she heard the latch unlock on the steel door, and she knew it would be Juliet with breakfast, but she was wrong. Violet turned to see a determined looking Juliet walking into the room, carrying that same burlap sack she had placed over Violet's head when she brought her up to see Kate. What was worse, now Juliet looked worried. Violet puckered her brow.

"What-"

"Don't ask me any questions, Violet, you need to come with me, now." Juliet said simply as she walked forward. Violet swallowed hard as she stood up, backing away. Over the past few weeks, she had not feared Juliet, but now...

"Why? What's going on?" She could tell Juliet seemed a little frantic, and that scared Violet more than anything.

Juliet stared at her for only a moment, almost pondering what she was going to do, and that worried Violet greatly. Were they going to kill her? Had they sent _Juliet_ to kill her? _I thought I could trust her..._

Without a word, Juliet grabbed a hold of Violet's arm and led her out of the cell, without a single word. Violet's heart was hammering wildly against her chest. Juliet never said a word, or even looked at her, but Violet thought she looked as though she had been crying. Why would she be crying? What the _hell_ was going on?

"Juliet, please tell me what's-" Before she could finish, she heard a fast beeping sound coming from the room where she had been only days ago, getting her wrists wrapped by Juliet after what Ben had done to her. Violet caught only a small glimpse inside to see Jack, dressed in scrubs and wearing surgical gloves. Someone was lying facedown on the table. Jack had caught her eye, but only for a second before Juliet led her past the door. Violet's heart skipped a beat.

"Jack? Jack! What's going on? What are you doing?" Violet yelled out, as Juliet pulled her forward faster, gripping her arm a little too tightly. Jack never responded, and Violet's fear was growing stronger and stronger, as she continued to yell for Jack. Why was Jack operating? _Who_ was he operating on? Why was Juliet so quiet? Why had she been crying?

Violet tried to look down the corridor to see if Jack would run out of the room to talk to her or try and stop Juliet from taking her to God knew where, but everything went black as Juliet placed the burlap sack over Violet's head and led her on, without a word.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kate and Sawyer had been running for their lives. Somehow, Danny had caught on that they were escaping, and in a frenzy, convinced Ben would rather die than let them go, he and his men were chasing after Kate and Sawyer, ready to kill.

Kate knew they would be dead right now if it weren't for that teenage girl who had suddenly emerged from the jungle with a slingshot, distracting those guys with rifles long enough for Kate and Sawyer to get a head start, following the girl deeper into the jungle.

Once they had lost Danny and his goons, they stopped to get their bearings straight.

"You're trying to get off this island, aren't you?" The girl asked, as she took a deep breath. Kate and Sawyer exchanged glances.

"Island? What are you talking about?" Kate asked as she continued to follow the teen at a slower pace.

"Don't you know?" The girl asked, seemingly surprised. "This isn't the same island you came from. This is a separate island. You need a boat to get there." Sawyer rolled his eyes.

"Kid, what's your name?" He asked. The girl hesitated, but lifted her chin bravely.

"Alex." She replied. Kate immediately recognized the name and thought of Danielle Rousseau, who had lost a daughter named Alex 16 years ago. Could it be? Kate pushed the thought out of her mind. There were more important things to worry about.

"Well, _Alex._ What the hell are we supposed to do if we ain't got no boat?" Sawyer asked sarcastically. Alex sighed.

"You can have my boat, but...I need your help with something first." She replied. Sawyer sighed heavily.

"You can't get somethin' for nothin' anymore, can ya Freckles?" He asked Kate. Kate shook her head, looking back at Alex.

"What is it that you want?" Kate asked.

* * *

Before long, the three runaways were kneeling down in the bushes outside a large building, guarded by a man with a rifle. Alex had filled them in on the way.

"Your boyfriend's in there?" Kate asked, as she pointed toward the building.

"Yeah, I'm sure he is. I've looked everywhere else. I'm sure they've been keeping him prisoner." Alex replied. "My dad...he hates Karl."

"Okay, as swell as that is, how are we gonna get up there withou getting shot first?" Sawyer asked. Kate assessed the situation and thought of a plan.

As Kate and Sawyer placed their hands behind their backs to appear bound, Alex pushed them forward, pretending to hold a gun to Sawyer's back.

"Aldo, I found them running through the jungle!" Alex shouted as the guard lifted his rifle quickly. Sawyer could immediately see the nervousness in the young guard's eyes. He knew this would be easier than he thought.

"Alex, what are you doing here?" Aldo asked, steadying his voice as best he could.

"My dad told me to bring them to you." Alex replied. Aldo stared at her, unsure for quite sometime before he finally nodded hesitantly. As Aldo reached for his walkie to confirm this was true, Sawyer punched the guy down and grabbed hold of his rifle in a matter of seconds.

"Where's Karl?" Alex asked desperately as Sawyer held the gun to Aldo's neck.

"Alex, why are-" Saywer pressed the gun barrel closer to Aldo's neck.

"I _will _shoot you cowboy, now answer the kid's question!" He hissed.

"He's in room 23, the keys are in my pocket!" Aldo shouted out willingly, as his eyes began to water. Sawyer thrust the rifle's handle hard against Aldo's head, rendering him unconscious.

"Alright, let's get your boyfriend and get the hell out of here." He said, as he led the way.

* * *

Jack paced back and forth in the medical examining room, still waiting for Kate to radio him back with the story. What was taking so long? Were they safe? Moments had passed since he had seen Juliet taking Violet out, and he could only hope she had been serious when she had said she was going to help his friends escape. He had wanted so badly to go out and tell Violet it was going to be okay. God, she had looked so scared.

Still, Jack couldn't understand what caused Juliet's sudden change of heart, going from absolute refusal to help anyone to willingly leaving to collect Violet and get them all out safely. What had Ben said to her?

Jack knew whatever happened would have to happen soon. Ben's hour was running out. If he didn't stitch up that kidney sack soon, Ben would die, and he knew he'd never get off this island without Ben's word. His people would attack and kill him, and would probably go back and kill the rest of them who were still at the beach, including Kate and Violet. No, he had to fix Ben. He just hoped it wouldn't be too late.

* * *

The three of them arrived at the beach. Kate, Sawyer and Alex, with Sawyer carrying an unconscious boy named Karl over his shoulders. Sweat was dripping off his forehead; they had been walking for quite some time, and the kid wasn't exactly the lightest.

Kate's ears were still ringing from Karl's rescue. They had found him strapped to a chair in a room that was blasting strange music, as Karl had been forced to watch a brainwashing video of sorts. Flashing images and words had been flashing at a fast rate that had nearly captivated Kate as well. She had to force herself not to watch.

Karl had been hooked up to an IV to keep him hydrated, but he was barely conscious when they unstrapped the poor kid and pulled him out.

Now he was fully unconscious as Sawyer placed the boy in the small boat Alex had apparently built, and when Kate peered along the empty beach, she swallowed hard.

"Where the hell is Violet?" She asked worriedly. Sawyer turned and stared at her.

"What?" He asked, narrowing his eyebrows angrily.

"Jack said he would get Violet to us. We aren't leaving without her!" Kate replied solidly. Sawyer sighed.

"In case you forgot, Freckles, we got guys with rifles chasing after us. We gotta get the hell out of here!"

"_James_, I'm not leaving without her! Not when I promised her we were all gonna get out of here! I don't expect you to understand, but-" She was halted when she saw two figures walk onto the beach not very far from them. Kate recognized the blonde woman as Juliet, and knew right away she had Violet with her. Was she here to let her go, like Jack had said? What had Jack done?

Juliet gave a reassuring squeeze to Violet's arm as she removed the burlap sack from her, who squinted from the brightness of the sun before realizing she was on a beach. Juliet kept her eyes off of the girl. _Keep yourself cold._ She told herself. She kept a hold on Violet's arm, without even realizing she had.

Violet's eyes adjusted to the sunlight and saw the ocean. For a brief moment, she felt happiness. Sand underneath her, sunlight above her, ocean surrounding her. Were they back on the beach she had come to know as home? She knew she couldn't be when she spotted Sawyer, two strangers and Kate.

"Kate?" Violet asked with a hint of hope in her voice, as she took in her surroundings. A boat, two kids who were roughly her age or older, no Others except for Juliet, and no weapons.

"What's going on?" She asked, feeling a little bit of hope, but before anybody could answer her questions, a gunshot went off and everything happened so fast. Saywer had grabbed a hold of Kate, Alex fell to the ground, and Juliet clutched Violet's arm tight as Violet had tried to run. All Violet could see was Pickett, the same man who had dragged her kicking and screaming to Ben's fate, run out onto the beach with his gun raised.

"Danny stop!" Juliet yelled as she reached for her own gun.

"Let's see how you like it when we let one of _you_ die!" Danny yelled out, and fired his gun at Violet.

"No!" Kate screamed as Sawyer grabbed her, holding her back as Violet went down. Juliet grabbed hold of the falling girl, falling with her, and grabbed her gun that was tucked away in her pants. She fired three shots at Danny, who fell down, dead before he hit the sand. Kate watched from a safe distance, tears streaming down her face, still unsure about Juliet who had just shot a man, who had placed Violet down gently in the sand. Violet seemed unconscious. Kate wanted to run forward, to see if Violet was breathing, to see if Pickett had _killed_ her, but Sawyer wouldn't let go.

Juliet lifted Violet's sleeve to see a little bit of blood. Juliet heaved a silent breath of relief, as she had thought for a moment that Danny had killed the girl, but Violet was still breathing heavily as she had simply passed out from the hit. Juliet looked up at Kate, who was watching with tears in her eyes. Juliet offered a small smile.

"She's okay. The bullet just grazed her arm." She said, as Violet's eyes popped open, and stared up at Juliet. Her arm was stinging, and her head was spinning.

"What-"

"You're okay." Juliet said quietly, with a reassuring smile. Violet turned her head to see Danny's body not far from where she was lying, blood everywhere. Violet immediately felt sick.

"You...you killed-"

"We gotta get out of here before any more of 'em show up." Sawyer said suddenly, as he ran to prepare the boat. Juliet quickly took advantage of the fact that Sawyer and Kate were preoccupied, and while their faces were turned, she slid a piece of paper into Violet's hand. Violet stared at it.

"What is-"

"Just put it in your pocket and read it later." Juliet said quietly. Violet stared at her for a moment, picking up on how important this small piece of paper was. She could tell by the way Juliet was looking at her that it was something she was meant to read privately.

As Violet tried to sit up, Juliet pulled her up, steadying the girl, who nearly lost her balance.

"Go, get out of here." Juliet said as she pushed Violet forward slightly. Violet turned, holding her arm tightly, shaking her head curiosly.

"Why?" She wanted to know. "Why now?" Juliet never did answer, but she looked sad for some reason, as she turned and stared at Danny's lifeless body. Violet heard Kate calling her name. Violet turned and saw Kate standing there, with a smile on her face. Violet finally turned away from Juliet to go with Kate and Sawyer, but she had so many unanswered questions racing through her mind. Where was Jack? Why were they letting them go? Why did Juliet look so sad? What was that piece of paper?

Violet ran over to Kate, into her open arms, finally realizing for the first time they had arrived on this beach that they were really going back.

"Are you alright?" Kate asked quietly. Violet managed a small nod as tears fell from her eyes. She didn't want to let go of Kate, who held her so tightly. This wasn't right, not without Jack, not when all her questions about Juliet hadn't been answered.

As Sawyer pushed the boat into the ocean a little, Kate let go of Violet, and pulled out a walkie talkie.

"Jack?" Violet's heart skipped a beat and it wasn't long before the frequency picked up and they all heard Jack's voice on the other end. Violet swallowed hard. Maybe he was coming too.

"Are you safe? Is Violet there?" Jack asked quickly.

"Yeah, Jack, we're all here. We almost didn't make it, but we have a boat, they're letting us go." Kate replied. Violet could hear Jack's sigh of relief on the other end of the walkie.

"Alright then tell me the story. Tell me or I won't know you're really safe." Jack said. Violet and Sawyer stared at Kate with confused eyes. Violet stole a glance over to see Juliet, who was watching with an emotion Violet couldn't read.

"You were doing surgery on a girl, and you messed up. You made a mistake. You tore something on her back and all the nerves came loose." Kate paused as she began to cry. "And you said you were so afraid, and you said the fear was so real, and you didn't know what to do." Kate wiped her eyes, and Violet watched with tears in her own eyes, as Kate continued the story. Violet couldn't help but wonder when Jack had shared this with Kate, and why Kate had never mentioned it before.

"So you counted to five, and then you weren't afraid anymore. And then it was just gone. And you fixed her. You saved her." She finished. There was a long pause, as Kate waited, still crying. Violet began to cry too. Why did they have to leave Jack behind? Why wasn't he coming? Why were they being let go? Why wasn't anyone telling her?

"Kate I need you to promise me something. Two things actually. I need you to promise you'll look out for Violet." Jack said. Violet swallowed hard as tears rolled down her cheeks. She wanted to run back and get Jack. She knew where he was.

"Jack-" Kate tried, with tears in her own eyes.

"I need you to promise me that you'll never come back here for me, Kate. Never come back." With that, the frequency went fuzzy. Jack had shut off his walkie. Kate continued to cry, as Juliet took the walkie away from Kate. Violet stared up at Juliet who looked at her for only a moment, before she turned away.

"We gotta go, Freckles." Sawyer said quietly. Kate nodded, trying to appear brave for Violet. They approached the boat, but Violet didn't move. She looked at Juliet, she looked at the jungle behind her, the jungle she knew led back to the Hydra, where Jack was being held. It wasn't right, nothing would be the same without Jack. They couldn't just leave him here.

"Come on kid, we gotta go." Sawyer quietly said as he took a hold of Violet's arm and led her to the boat. Both Sawyer and Kate helped her into the boat, and Violet barely noticed Karl lying there unconscious. She was oblivious as Kate and Sawyer pushed the boat out into the water. All she could do was stare at the island, knowing Jack was still there somewhere, trapped and a prisoner, and as she watched Juliet staring off after them with those sad eyes, she almost felt that Juliet had been a prisoner the whole time as well.


	12. The Letter

****

Chapter Twelve: The Letter

Jack wiped the sweat off his brow as he stitched up the last stitch on Ben's back. It was finished; he had successfully removed the fatal tumor that would have claimed Ben's life. It hadn't taken Jack long to fix the torn kidney sack he had severed, and now, hours after he had begun the surgery, he was finally finished. He had already told Juliet she would have to run a biopsy to be sure, but Jack was confident he had removed it all.

He wondered to himself what would happen next. Was Ben really a man of his word? Jack hoped Violet and Kate, and even Sawyer were safe now, despite what Juliet had told him, but would Ben be sure to leave them alone now? And, would Ben keep his word and let Jack finally go home? Back to LA? Jack didn't let himself get his hopes up, but the sooner he could leave this island, the better.

* * *

Violet held her arm tight as the makeshift bandage Kate had wrapped around the gunshot wound was beginning to fall off. She was exhausted, as they had been rowing in this tiny boat for what seemed like hours. Karl was still unconscious, and Violet felt close to it, as sleep threatened to take her. Sawyer rowed away, humming to himself, as Kate sat at the front of the boat, having not said barely a word since they left the island.

Violet dipped her hand in the water and splashed some onto her face, letting the coolness drip down her neck and smiling to herself, happy she truly was free. But she couldn't allow herself full happiness. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Jack was supposed to be here. They were _all _supposed to escape, and now they were going back to their way of life, while Jack was stuck with the Others, and who knew what they would do to him now that he was done the surgery.

Violet sighed out loud, as she stared longingly at the island in front of them, anxious to get out of the boat, stretch her legs, and finally be able to sleep under the stars again.

"Hey Freckles, why're you so quiet up there? Why don't you hum along?" Sawyer asked, breaking the silence. Kate turned and stared at him with determined eyes.

"Turn the boat around, Sawyer." Kate took out her oar, and placed it in the water. Violet sat up expectantly, seeing the look in Sawyer's eye. This was not going to end pretty. _Why the hell am I sitting between them?_

"What?" Sawyer asked.

"You heard me, turn around, we have to go back. For Jack!" Kate said strongly.

"Are you out of your mind, Freckles? We just got ourselves out of there, and you wanna go back?" Sawyer said, raising his voice.

"Sawyer, I'm serious."

"So am I. What, you think the doc was bluffing when he said never come back? If we go back there, we're gonna get ourselves killed!"

"Whatever happened to 'live together, die alone?" Kate asked, forcing the tears down, and Violet could tell. Violet sighed, looking at Sawyer, the man she once feared.

"I think we should go back, too. Jack saved our lives, we should try and save his." She said quietly. Sawyer rolled his eyes.

"Look Freebird, I know your heart's in the right place and all, but you spent a hell of a lot more time with them than we did, and so you know how dangerous they are." He replied. Kate didn't respond, and neither did Violet. They both knew he was right. There was a silent moment as Sawyer and Kate stared at each other, neither of them saying a word, and seemingly forgetting that Violet was right there in the center of them.

"We're not going back, Freckles. We ain't risking our lives no more. I didn't think you'd want to be putting _her_ life in danger anyway." Sawyer said, and that was that. Apparently it struck a nerve in Kate, who never said a word, and Kate was not the type to keep her mouth shut. Violet felt something strange between Sawyer and Kate, something different. Before Violet had been taken, Kate and Saywer barely spoke, and when they did, it usually broke out into an argument of sorts. Yes they were arguing now, but it was different. What exactly had happened between them?

* * *

Violet took a hold of Sawyer's offered hand as he helped her out of the boat and onto the shore about an hour later. The sun was just beginning to set in the sky; they had been rowing all day, and Violet's legs felt every moment of sitting cramped up in that canoe. Kate immediately set off into the jungle on her own to collect some firewood, as Sawyer helped Karl, who was beginning to gain consciousness, out of the boat, and gently down on the ground. Violet thought about following Kate into the jungle, but she didn't, for two reasons. First, she knew Kate would freak out, especially after having just escaped from the Others, about Violet venturing into a jungle on her own, and second, Kate seemed to need time away from Sawyer, and so Violet let her go, keeping herself close to Sawyer, who tied up the boat.

It wasn't long before Kate returned with a handful of firewood, and Violet began helping her set up the fire. Sawyer never said a word, he just kept to himself mostly, except for the times that Karl woke momentarily, and Sawyer would try to ask him as much as he could about the Others, and what they wanted.

As soon as the fire was lit, Kate asked Violet to hold still as she tried to change the bandage on her arm. She had been using small pieces of the sail on the boat as bandages.

"It's a good thing we made it to land." Kate said with a bit of a smile, as Violet cringed a bit when Kate tightened the make-do bandage.

"Yeah." She said quietly. Kate sighed, as she stared at Violet.

"You okay?" She asked. Violet managed a nod.

"Are you?" She asked Kate, who rolled her eyes.

"Terrific." She and Violet smiled for a moment.

"I thought Danny had killed you." Kate said quietly, as she moved Violet's arm up and down gently, making sure everything was okay. Violet sighed, visibly shaken.

"I was afraid the whole time I was there that they'd kill me. I never understood why they would take me, and keep me. I didn't understand my purpose, and so every day, I thought they would kill me. Kate, how do we know they aren't going to come back for us? They know where we are." She said, swallowing hard. Kate sighed, wanting to promise the girl they wouldn't come back, but she knew that promise was empty.

"I don't know, Violet, but what I do know is if they do come back, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure they don't take you again." Kate said quietly. Violet stared at Kate, sensing her seriousness, but Kate seemed distracted. She kept stealing glances at Sawyer. What the hell was going on?

* * *

The sun had set, and darkness had surrounded them. Kate and Sawyer were both asleep, as Violet stared at the stars from where she lay. She was happy to see them, she was free. Still, she couldn't believe this was really happening. Only hours ago, she was still a prisoner of the Others, and everything had changed so quickly. Juliet brought her out to the beach where Kate and Sawyer were already leaving.

That was when it hit her. The note Juliet had slipped into her hand right before she got into the boat with Kate and Sawyer. Juliet had told her to read it later.

Violet slipped her hand into her pocket and sat up. She peered over at Kate and Sawyer, who were both deeply asleep. Violet slowly stood up and quietly walked over to the burning fire, which was a few feet away from where they were sleeping.

Violet remembered the look on Juliet's face when she had slipped this paper into Violet's hand. Even though she hadn't said anything, Violet had quickly picked up on the fact that this note was to be read alone, and part of that frightened her.

But it _was _Juliet, and as much as both Jack and Kate had warned her not to trust _any_ of the Others, Violet couldn't help but know that Juliet would never do anything to hurt her. She knew whatever this piece of paper was, was probably something that Ben didn't know about. She doubted it was part of any of _their_ plan, but still, she kept her back turned to Kate and Sawyer, knowing that if they knew she was reading something that Juliet gave her, they would immediately take it from her.

Violet held the piece of paper in her hands for some time before she quietly opened it up, and saw that it was a hand-written note, with handwriting that was fairly messy, and difficult to read. At first, Violet thought it was a letter written by Juliet, but as she started to read the words in front of her, she swallowed hard, as her heart skipped a beat. This was not written by Juliet.

_It has been a month since I heard the dreadful news about Oceanic Flight 815. I have checked the Oceanic website over a hundred times to confirm, I have read over Katie's email with the departure time and gate number twice as much, I have called their flat in Australia, getting nothing but their answering machine, over and over again. _

_As many times as I have tried to accept the fact that the girls are not going to return my calls, they are not going to get off that plane and meet me at the gate, it is still painful, and it ruins me, inside out. I cannot go on like this, knowing that I myself am the sole cause for their deaths. If I had not been so selfish those 14 years ago, having to satisfy my own urges, I would never have left Annie for Trina. If I had not been so ashamed to admit to Trina that I had children, the girls wouldn't have had to fend for themselves all those years. How could I let Katie raise Violet by herself after the death of their mother? How could they want to see me, after all these years? It was a mistake to ask them to come see me. If I hadn't, they would not have gotten on that plane to begin with. All I wanted was to see Katie again, after 14 years. She was just a teenager the last time I saw her, and then there was Violet, who I had never met, a teenager herself. How she must resent me, hate me, despise me, a man she has never met, but a man she had every right to resent. Now I will never see her face, never know if she looked like her mother, or like me, never hear her voice, never know how she would have reacted, had I had the chance to meet my littlest girl. _

_All these years, I have missed out on their lives. As I hoped to share their futures with them, I lost that as well, due to the same selfishness that cost me my family in the first place. I deserve the fate I am about to inflict. Life is not worth this shame, worth this torture of knowing I myself am responsible for the death of my two girls, the only family I have ever had. My girls, Katie and Violet. How I miss Katie, long to hold her in my arms again. How I long to see my Violet, apologize to both of them for what they've been through. Apologize for the selfishness that caused so much pain in both of their lives. I have lost this chance now. Life is not worth this pain, and so it must end. I do not know who will find this note, but I hope whoever finds themselves reading these words knows they come from the heart of a man who loved his two daughters more than anything this world ever had to offer. I love you Katie Jay. I love you Violet Rose. I always have; I always will. M. Donavan_

Violet could barely make out the last few lines, as tears clouded her vision so much. She shook as she sobbed, trying to keep it quiet, not wanting to wake up Kate and Sawyer.

She carefully folded the paper up and placed it back in her pocket as she stuffed her face into her hands, crying softly. She didn't know how Juliet got a hold of this letter, or _why_ she would give it to Violet but she never expected this to be what Juliet would give her. Her father, the man she had hated since the day she knew he had left their family, the man she had blamed for Katie's death, and the crash itself, the man who's name she cursed, the man she swore she would _never_ want anything to do with if they ever were rescued, had loved her all along.

The guilt Violet felt for ever hating him, loathing him or blaming him was strong, as she tried to imagine the pain this man was in while he wrote this letter. His words were powerful and intense, and the wet spots that stained the paper were evident of tears her father had spilled as he wrote his final words. Now her own tears stained the same page. He had killed himself, she would never have the chance to meet this man after all. Her wish had come true.

She didn't even hear Kate approach her from behind, but she jumped quickly as Kate knelt down in front of her with concerned eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's going on?" Kate asked quietly, as she smoothed Violet's strands of hair away from her cheeks. Violet immediately felt ashamed, sitting here, crying in the middle of the jungle, and now having to lie about it. She was glad she had put the note back in her pocket. Violet breathed deeply, causing her whole body to shake as she wiped away her tears.

"I...I don't know. I'm...I'm just-"

"Hey, it's okay. You've been through a lot. It's been a rough few weeks, I know. But hey, you're safe now, okay? You're alright. We're here. _I'm_ here." Kate said with a bit of a smile. Violet stared at Kate, knowing she was safe, and that wasn't the problem at all anymore. As Violet began to cry again, unable to help herself as she remembered the words her father had written in the last moments of his life before he ended it, she threw her arms around Kate and immediately felt safe in Kate's arms, who held her tight, unsure of the real reason why Violet was so upset, but it was enough for Violet that she was there.


	13. Admissions and Guilt

**Chapter Thirteen: Admissions and Guilt**

The next morning, Violet woke up to the light breeze against her face, the hot sun beating down on her, and the sound of the ocean. She smiled to herself, realizing her freedom really wasn't a dream. She could feel the sand beneath her, and hear the seagulls above her. She barely remembered the night before, when Kate had found her by the fire, crying from the letter she had just read. Violet couldn't understand why she was so against sharing this letter with Kate. She trusted Kate with her life, why was it so hard to open up to her? She felt guilty for having this secret, a secret only she and Juliet knew about, and for that, she felt horrible. Keeping something from Kate that one of the _Others_ knew about. Violet shook her head. _But Juliet isn't one of them. I mean she is, but..._ Violet couldn't finish that thought, no matter how hard she had been trying. She didn't have long to think on it, because when she got up to stretch her legs, she heard arguing down the beach.

"What do you mean he's _gone?_" Kate asked angrily.

"Look Freckles, I woke up this morning, and the kid was gone! It ain't my fault he regained consciousness and realized he's not with his people!" Sawyer replied in a raised voice.

"We needed him, Sawyer! How the hell are we supposed to go back for Jack if we don't know where to go? He could have _led_ us there!"

"You saw how quickly that Alex kid wanted to get him out of there. They were keeping the kid _prisoner, _for God's sake. You think that kid's gonna go back there?"

"He could have _told_ us everything we needed to know about them, Sawyer!"

"Why the hell are you blaming this on _me?_ You were just as asleep as I was. He must have snuck off while we were all out!"

"Well, we'll just have to find him, won't we?"

"After you!"

Violet sighed to herself as Kate and Sawyer continued to argue. She didn't know what was going on between the two of them, but it was driving her insane. She couldn't wait to go back to the beach and meet up with everyone again. Maybe being around other people would give the two of them some space. They were probably just sick of each other, after all, they had spent all that time in cages across from each other. _That much time with Sawyer would irritate me too._ Violet thought, as she wandered back to where the fire had been. That was when she saw footprints, leading into the jungle. Violet didn't know much about tracking, but it seemed as though they started not very far from where Karl had been slipping in and out of consciousness all night.

Violet bit her lip, and thought about telling Kate and Sawyer, but they were too busy arguing. She sighed to herself. _I'd better go._ She started off toward the jungle. She wasn't afraid. She didn't think Karl would hurt her; he wasn't that much older than she was, and he was probably still weak from whatever the hell had happened to him. Besides, according to Sawyer and Kate, he had been held prisoner. He couldn't have been one of _them._

Violet followed the footprints into the jungle, and it wasn't before too long that she heard a noise up ahead. The sound of tears, and Violet immediately felt embarrassed. There was Karl, a teenage boy up ahead, sitting on a rock, crying. Violet wanted to leave, but as she backed up, she stepped on a twig and Karl looked up immediately when he heard the snap. Violet swallowed when Karl looked at her with moist eyes, but an angry look on his face.

"What are you doing here?" He asked loudly. Violet felt nervous now, and wished Kate or Sawyer were here with her after all.

"I'm not...I just...we were worried about you." She stumbled to say. She knew that wasn't true. Kate and Sawyer were more concerned about using him for information, Violet didn't care either way.

"Yeah right. Why the _hell_ would you be worried about me?" Karl asked, sitting himself back down on his rock angrily. Violet felt awkward. He was right, after all. Why _would _they worry about him? As far as they knew, he came from _their_ side of things. He may very well have been one of _them._

Still, Violet didn't feel comfortable leaving anymore than she felt comfortable staying, so she decided to approach Karl. She carefully sat down on the rock beside him. He didn't look up, but he didn't protest either.

"I, uh, I heard you...you know...crying." Violet said awkwardly. She had never been great with talking to guys. Katie had always told her it was something that would come naturally when the time was right.

Karl looked away with a sniffle, obviously embarrassed. Violet wasn't an expert, but she saw the look on Alex's face when they took off yesterday. She didn't want him to leave; it broke her heart. Violet cleared her throat.

"That girl. Alex. Was she your girlfriend?" Violet asked. Karl nodded.

"She _is_ my girlfriend." He replied. Violet rolled her eyes to herself.

"Sorry." Karl didn't respond, but he continued talking.

"Her dad wants to kill me. That's why she sent me with you." He said quietly.

"How do you know her dad wants to kill you? You weren't even awake when we left." Violet said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Because he had me locked in a room for more than a week, having me watch God knows what, like I even remember! Do you even _know_ who her dad is? Well, it's Ben, and I'm sure you've met _him._" Karl replied with a hint of bitterness in his voice. Violet's heart skipped a beat. Ben. She shuddered.

"He wants to kill you because you're dating his daughter?" She asked, ignoring the memories of Room 16. Karl just shrugged.

"And that's why you're upset? Because you think you'll never see her again?" Violet pressed. Karl didn't say anything for a while, before he spoke again.

"If I go back there, he'll kill me for sure." He sat still. Violet sat still. Both sat in silence for a long time before either one said something.

"Do you love her?" Violet asked simply. Karl finally turned and looked at her. It was the first time he acknowledged her presence with him. He answered with a nod. Violet smiled a little.

"My mom used to say that when you love someone, you'll jump over mountains for them, cross oceans, fight tigers, or something like that. Anyway, her point was that if you love someone, really love them, you'd do anything for them, even if it means putting yourself in danger." She paused, as Karl seemed to be thinking about stuff. Violet stood up.

"I should get back before they think I'm missing again. I think we're packing up to go back to our camp. I guess if I don't see you again, you went back for Alex." Violet didn't say anything else and neither did Karl, who didn't move.

Violet turned her back, and walked back to the beach, which didn't take too long. She half hoped Kate and Sawyer were still arguing, and wouldn't have noticed her disappearance, but she was wrong. The first person who spotted her coming through the trees was Sawyer. He rolled his eyes and approached her at a fast pace, scaring Violet.

"Where the hell did you go? Don't you realize we're still targets?" Sawyer's raised voice caused Kate to turn and approach at just as quickly a speed. Violet swallowed quickly.

"I was just trying to see if I could find Karl." She said, and Kate shook her head.

"That's not your job, especially without telling us first! God, Violet, you were kidnapped by the Others and held against your will for more than a month! Why the hell would you even _think_ about going wandering off by yourself?" Kate yelled out angrily. Violet, who normally argued with Kate on this matter, kept her mouth shut. She knew how worried Kate had been the whole time she had been missing. She knew how much Kate had looked for her. She knew how desperately Kate tried to get her out of that place. She had no excuse to offer for Kate; she had every right to be upset.

"I'm sorry." Violet said humbly, but Sawyer immediately interjected.

"We gotta get outta here." He began to walk away, and Kate yelled after him.

"We have to find Karl! How the hell else are we supposed to find out where they live?" She yelled. Sawyer turned and faced her.

"We ain't looking for the kid, alright? He's a target, that makes _us_ a target, and in case you forgot, we just _escaped_ from those lunatics." He said in a frustrated voice. Kate only glared at him, and Violet kept her mouth shut, knowing this was not the time to tell them that she had found Karl. Besides that, he needed time to himself. She respected that.

Kate's silence was apparently bothering Sawyer, who approached Kate quickly, and got right up in her face. Kate didn't even flinch, but Violet did.

"Don't take out your frustrations on me, Freckles, just because you feel guilty." He said in a quiet voice. For a moment, it seemed as though the two of them had forgotten Violet was still there.

"I'm not feeling guilty about anything. There was no other way. We had to leave Jack behind, but I'm going-"

"I'm not talking about the doc, Freckles. I'm talking about you and me, sleeping together. You're just feeling guilty about that, aren't ya?" Violet swallowed hard, wishing she were anywhere but here. Kate and Sawyer? Slept together? Violet only turned away from the two of them, hoping to stay out of whatever was going to erupt next.

Kate eventually walked away, giving a quick glance to Violet, suggesting she follow. Violet had no choice but to follow her, back toward their camp. Sawyer waited a moment before he trailed after them. So many questions were racing through Violet's mind as the awkward silence floated over her between Kate and Sawyer. When did Kate and Sawyer _sleep _together? How? There was no way they could have done it while they were still prisoners? But why did it feel like these wounds were still fresh?

Violet didn't know, all she knew was that things were going to be very different back home, back on the beach.

* * *

Violet's exhaustion was kicking in hours later, when they were still trekking through the jungle. Saywer and Kate hadn't exchanged a single word on their journey, but at least Kate was still talking to Violet.

"How's your arm doing?" She asked as they ducked under a tree branch. Violet shrugged.

"It's okay I guess, really sore, but, it's not the worst pain I've felt." She admitted honestly, remembering those violent shocks going through her body in room 16. She shuddered. Violet looked up ahead to see Sawyer walking rather quickly, far enough that he was out of earshot. Violet wasn't sure if she should bring it up, but her curiosity was eating her up.

"Kate, can I ask you a question?" She asked. Kate turned and offered a smile.

"Of course you can. You can ask me anything." She replied.

"What's up with you and Sawyer?" Violet knew she had caught Kate off guard, because Kate paused and never even turned to look at Violet. Violet immediately regretted asking the question, because now Kate seemed upset. Violet shook her head.

"I'm sorry, nevermind." She said as she hopped over a branch on the ground.

"It's okay Violet, don't worry about it. If I could answer that question, I would." That was how it was left, and her answer confused Violet even more, but she wasn't worried about it anymore. She could smell the ocean, and she knew that meant they were approaching the beach.

Once they emerged from the jungle and began walking down the beach, she recognized the place she had once called her home immediately. There were all the tents set up randomly; she could even pick out the one that her and Kate had shared. There was the hill that her and Walt used to sit up on all the time, but there were new things too. She noticed a little hut that seemed to have lots of food in it, almost like a kitchen. But all of this was soon forgotten when she heard voices.

"Look, they're back. All of them!" Violet recognized the voice. It was Sun. Soon, the whole camp was approaching the three of them. Violet didn't know who to run to first. There were so many familiar faces. There was Claire, holding Aaron, who had grown so much. There was Charlie right beside her, and behind him was John Locke and Sayid. Jin, Sun and Hurley too, and the rest of the camp's survivors. The joy Violet felt inside of her was amazing, and she ran forward eagerly.

Charlie was the first to approach her, and he scooped her up into his arms, spinning her around as he exploded with laughter.

"Look at you! You're alive!" He yelled out, as many others began hugging her and talking to her. It was very overwhelming as she smiled at all her friends. She peered over her shoulder to make sure Kate was still there, and she was being greeted by people as well, so Violet enjoyed her reunion.

"I'm so glad you're alright!" Claire said, as Sun agreed. Sayid offered her a smile and a nod of his head.

"Welcome back Violet." He said quietly. Violet smiled back at everyone as she breathed out, relieved. She knew it would only be a matter of time before all these people began asking her questions about where she had been and what had happened, but for now, she just let herself be greeted as though she had never been taken by the island's enemies.

* * *

Violet had been happy to find her small carryon bag with her clothes in it still in Kate's tent, and she quickly changed out of the clothes the Others had given her, and back into her own. She had managed to get away from Charlie and Claire, who were asking her a lot of questions. Violet had noticed Locke and Sayid had cornered Kate for the same reason, and Violet was able to sneak away for a little while to change her clothes. Now, she wanted nothing more than to go over to visit Katie. She hadn't been near her big sister's grave since she had been taken nearly a month ago.

Violet peeked out of her tent, and couldn't see any sign of Charlie, Claire, or anyone else. So she took off, and walked quickly toward the part of the beach where everyone had been buried. She immediately found she wasn't as alone as she would have liked. Hurley was already sitting cross-legged in the sand. He turned and gave Violet a small smile.

"Hey dude." He said. Violet smiled back, waiting for the questions, but nothing came. Violet relaxed a little, and sat beside Hurley, who was sitting close to where Katie's grave was. She sighed, as she thought of Katie, and her mom, and now her dad, all lost to her now. She wanted nothing more than to break down crying, as she thought of everyone she cared about, who was now gone. Walt. Being back at the camp brought back vivid memories of Walt, and their time together before he left on the raft. Before she had been taken. She remembered their last conversation before he left on the raft with his dad, Jin and Sawyer.

* * *

_"Hi Violet." Violet looked up to see Walt standing beside her, holding Vincent's leash. Vincent sat down obediently. Violet managed a small smile._

_"Hey Walt." She whispered, but it was shaky. There was silence, as Violet stared up at Walt, wanting nothing more than to either beg him to stay, or agree to go with him; anything to keep them together, but she knew both options couldn't happen. She sighed._

_"I think you should take Vincent after I leave." Walt said suddenly, unconsciously fingering Vincent's leash. "He'll take care of you." Violet stared at Walt with tears in her eyes. No, she would not cry._

_"Why do you think I need a dog to take care of me?" She asked, not understanding why Walt was even considering giving away his dog. Walt sighed, staring at Vincent, never at Violet. This was hard for him too; she could feel it._

_"Because...he took care of me when my mom died. Nobody would even talk to me about her, so...I talked to Vincent. He's a good listener." He paused, sighing again. "You can talk to him about Katie...if you want." Violet stood and stared at Walt, who now had tears in his eyes. Violet couldn't help it anymore. She began to cry as she looked at the dog._

_"Okay." She said. "I'll take good care of him." She stared at Walt, who stared back, and she wrapped her arms around him, who returned the hug. Both kids cried to themselves, knowing this would be the last time they ever saw each other. It hurt so much._

_

* * *

_

Violet's stomach dropped. Vincent. She hadn't seen him when they arrived back at the camp. _Oh God_."Hurley," She feared the answer, "Where's...where's Vincent?"

"Oh you mean Walt's dog?" Hurley asked. Violet sighed._ My dog now. Walt gave him to me_."Yeah." Violet replied anyway. "Where is he?"

"Dude, after you were taken, Vincent, like, ran off into the jungle. We haven't seen him since. We figured he went off trying to sniff you out or something." Hurley replied. Violet hung her head and clung to her hair tightly. She wanted to cry. That dog was a gift from Walt, and now he was gone too.

"Don't get upset, man, a dog could easily survive on its own. And hey, now that you're back, Vincent might come back too." Hurley tried. Violet sighed, not wanting to think about Vincent meeting up with the monster in the jungle, or whatever else. She shook her head, forcing the thought away, and looked up at Hurley.

"So, like, what are you doing out here Hurley? I've never seen you here before." Violet pointed out. Hurley sighed, and stared at a cross not too far from where Katie's was. Violet peeked over and read the name on it.

"Libby. Who's Libby?" Violet asked, watching Hurley. He looked like he had tears in his eyes, and Violet regretted asking, but still, he spoke up.

"She was...a great person." He said quietly. Violet looked around and saw more graves than she was used to. She swallowed hard.

"Hurley," She started, "What's been going on? You know, since I've been gone?" Hurley seemed happy to change the subject.

"Want the long version, or the short?" He asked. Violet shrugged as Hurley breathed out.

"Okay well, remember how they found that hatch? Well, when we went inside, there was food, and this button we had to push every 108 minutes, and then there was this guy inside, his name was Desmond. He'd been down there for three years already, like before _we_ came. So like, Locke went mental and decided to stop pushing the button and then Desmond turned this key or something and the hatch kinda imploded. The sky turned purple, and ever since then, Desmond's been able to, like, see the future and everything. We don't really know how, but it's been a little weird." He started. Violet breathed out.

"So this Desmond guy, he's staying with us now?" She asked, trying to follow what was going on.

"Yeah, he's pretty rad. Oh, and then we met some people from the tail end of the plane, a group of people. One of them shot Shannon, and killed her, but it was an accident. You know, they thought we were the Others. So then they stayed with us too. There were four of them. Ana Lucia, Libby, Mr. Eko and Bernard. They're all gone now, except Bernard." Hurley got quiet again, and Violet knew it had something to do with Libby.

"Gone? You mean...dead?" She asked. Hurley nodded.

"Eko got killed just a few days ago. He was a priest. He got killed by whatever thing that is in the jungle. And Ana Lucia and Libby? That was Michael's fault!" He seemed angry.

"Michael? He killed them?" Violet asked. Hurley nodded.

"Yeah. He was sent by the Others to bring back me, Jack, Kate and Sawyer."

"Yeah, I knew about that part." Violet said angrily. She was quiet for a while, and watched Hurley carefully.

"You miss her, don't you?" She asked, referring to Libby. Hurley was quiet, and only nodded.

"Yeah, I really do." He replied. Neither said anything for quite some time, they just stared at the crosses in front of them.

"Dude," Violet looked up and saw Hurley looking at her with a bit of a smile, "Glad you're back." Violet smiled and the two continued to sit in silence, listening to nothing but the ocean's waves carress the shore.

* * *

An hour or so later (Violet lost track), she noticed that Hurley was gone. He must have left, but she couldn't remember him saying 'see ya' or anything. Violet shook her head. _He probably did, and I just didn't notice._ She had been deep in thought, after all, wondering how Jack was doing, and feeling guilty for leaving him with the Others. _Now that Jack did the surgery, what use is he? What if he's already dead?_ Violet sighed out loud and decided to make it back to the beach, despite the questions that might be asked. Besides, she wondered if Kate was starting to wonder where she had gone off to.

The first thing she noticed when she stepped back onto the beach was Kate, with Sayid and Locke. She looked like she was yelling at them. Violet, being as curious as she was, ran right over and stood among them.

"...not safe, Kate." Sayid said in a stern voice, as Locke nodded his agreement.

"I don't care what you guys say, I'm going anyway." Kate said angrily as she stuffed a couple of water bottles into her knapsack. Violet puckered her brow.

"Where are you going?" She asked. Kate turned, noticing Violet's presence for the first time. She immediately rolled her eyes. Violet knew that meant she had planned to leave before Violet had a chance to ask.

"Tell her Kate, she has a right to know." Locke said, motioning to Violet. Kate stared at Locke with dagger eyes but Violet waited for Kate to talk to her.

"First of all, you are _not_ coming." Kate started.

"Damn it, Kate!" Violet screamed out, stamping her foot impatiently. She knew she was overreacting, but so much had happened in the last few weeks, she just couldn't stand being told what to do anymore.

Kate just stared at her in surprise.

"I'm going back for Jack." She said simply.

"Which is a bad idea." Sayid added.

"He put his own life in danger by compromising that surgery to get us out. I don't care that he told us not to come back. I'm going back to rescue him, I owe him that!" Kate yelled out.

"What makes you think you're the only one who owes him like that? In case you've forgotten, _I_ left him too!" Violet screamed back.

"I don't care right now, Violet. I know you're upset, I don't blame you after what you've been through, but you are _not_ coming and that is the final word!"

"I'm tired of being told what to do!"

"Well we can talk about that when I get back."

"What if you don't come back?" Violet yelled out with tears in her eyes. Kate didn't argue back right away, as she stared at Violet for a minute. Violet's face felt red from anger, and she forced herself not to cry. She could feel Sayid's and Locke's eyes on her, but Violet just stared at Kate.

Kate finally sighed.

"Violet, I _have_ to go, and I refuse to put your life in danger again. They would have killed you, if we hadn't gotten out of there when we did. I'm not risking your life too. Stay here with the others, they'll keep you safe, and I'll be back. With Jack." She said, lowering her voice, not wanting to argue anymore. Violet swallowed.

"I don't want to stay behind." She said quietly, feeling tears stinging her eyes again. Kate reached out and gave Violet a hug.

"I know you don't, but you have to trust me on this one, okay?" Kate let go and nodded at Violet, who just stared at Kate. She didn't even feel Hurley's presence behind her. Kate looked over Violet's shoulder at him.

"Hey Hurley, while I'm gone, can you do me a favour and keep an eye on Violet? You know, keep her company?" Kate asked. Hurley smiled a little.

"In other words, make sure she doesn't run off. Gotcha." Hurley gave a thumbs up sign. Violet sighed. It was a popular trend with Violet that the camp was familiar with. Violet had a tendency to sneak away and follow the action.

"Thanks Hurley." Kate turned to Violet. "See you soon, okay?" Violet didn't say anything, she just watched as Kate smiled sadly, and walked toward the jungle.

"If you're going, we're coming with you." Locke said, glancing at Sayid, who nodded wholeheartedly. Kate sighed, and with a final glance at Violet, she nodded. Kate knew she was putting her own life at risk, and having Sayid and Locke with her would give her more backup, more protection, more of a chance that she would be able to make it back to the beach and protect Violet, like she promised she would.

But right now, she _had_ to get Jack.

* * *

"So...wanna play ping pong?" Hurley asked a few moments after Kate, Locke and Sayid trekked off into the jungle. Violet still felt upset, and angered at being left behind, and she very nearly forgot Hurley's presence there. Violet turned and faced Hurley.

"Ping pong?" She questioned.

"Yeah, you know, it was one of the things we found after the hatch, like, imploded and all. So we brought it up here. S'been keeping us pretty entertained." Hurley replied, motioning toward the ping pong table at the end of the beach. Violet sighed, knowing Hurley meant well, but Violet had other things on her mind.

"Maybe in a little bit, Hurley. I, uh, have to pee." She said.

"Okay, thanks for sharing dude. See ya." Hurley took off, and Violet smiled to herself. Leave it to Hurley to get all embarrassed and leave Violet to herself.

She stared at the treeline, where Locke, Sayid and Kate had disappeared a few minutes ago. She didn't know much about tracking, but Locke had showed her a few tricks before she had been taken by the Others, and she was pretty sure she could stay far enough behind them for a while, and then catch up once they were far enough into the jungle. _Then she can't send me back._ She thought to herself.

Violet looked back toward Hurley, who was now standing at the ping pong table. _Sorry Hurley, I hate to do this to you, but you wouldn't understand if I told you._

She took a quick glance around and saw that nobody was really paying attention to her, so she casually walked toward the tree line, and with a final glance around the island, ran through the trees and through the jungle.


	14. The Flame

Violet immediately felt stupid. In the rush of trying to get away from Hurley and the others without being questioned, she hadn't grabbed any bottles of water, and she was beginning to feel incredibly dehydrated. She had been tracking the footprints for about an hour, but the sun was beating down on her from between the trees' branches, and she felt ready to collapse.

But she knew she must be catching up to Kate, Sayid and Locke. After all, she had only left about twenty minutes after them. _They must be walking a lot faster than I expected._ Violet thought, knowing she would have to catch up with them soon. She was beginning to wonder if this was a good idea. After all, she was now a perfect target for the Others. Alone, no weapon, and dehydrating rapidly. She thought back to the days when the Others hadn't existed in their world. _Before we knew they were here, running off into the jungle didn't seem as dangerous._ She thought to herself. Although, she had known all along she was never really safe, what with polar bears and smoke monsters habitating the jungle. But the new enemy seemed even more dangerous now.

Violet began to walk a little faster.

* * *

"She didn't seem too happy to be left behind." Sayid said quietly, as he, Locke, Kate and Rousseau continued on through the jungle. They had found Rousseau earlier, and enlisted her help. She had been hesitant at first, but when Kate made mention of a teenage girl who helped them away from the Others, who's name happened to be Alex, Danielle immediately agreed to tag along.

Kate turned to Sayid.

"What?" She asked, feeling distracted.

"I said, she didn't seem to happy to be left behind. Violet." Sayid repeated. Kate sighed loudly.

"It's for her own good. While we were held captive by the Others, one of them told me that if Jack didn't perform the surgery, they were going to kill Violet. I don't know if they were serious or not, but I'm not going to risk her life, not when she's finally back and safe." She said sternly. Sayid nodded.

"I understand your concern. I am glad you have all returned safely." He replied.

"Except Jack."

"Except Jack."

"Do you see that?" Locke interrupted the conversation when he crouched down low in front of a row of bushes. Kate, Sayid and Danielle quickly followed suit and got down. They followed Locke's line of vision, and saw what he had seen.

A cow.

"What the hell...?" Kate asked, as she squinted her eyes. Locke pressed his finger against his lips, motioning everyone to be quiet. It wasn't just a cow that he had seen. Behind the cow was what appeared to be a farmhouse, with a gigantic satellite dish on top of it.

"A satellite dish. I wonder if it is still in working condition." Sayid said quietly, as he observed his surroundings, but that wasn't the only thing he had noticed. He quickly motioned for everyone to crouch down even lower when they heard bushes rustling behind them. Everyone pulled out their guns and rifles they had carried with them and stood ready to attack. _It's the Others._ Kate thought to herself, ready to shoot whoever emerged from those bushes, for everything they had done to them.

The rustling became louder and louder, but still, there was no sign of life. Kate was beginning to feel fear consume her, as she gripped her gun even more tight. Finally, the bushes parted, and everyone raised their guns, but were shocked to find Violet coming forward, nearly shrieking when she saw guns. Kate lowered her gun, feeling anger welling up inside of her.

"Violet, what are you doing here?" Sayid whispered as he lowered his rifle. Locke turned away, continuing to observe the farmhouse from the distance.

"I'm here to help rescue Jack." Violet replied, trying desperately to catch her breath. "Where are we?"

"What the hell are you thinking, Violet? You _know_ who's out here now, and you _know_ what they can do! Why would you put yourself at risk like that when you were perfectly safe on the beach?" Kate hissed in a low whisper, but Violet could still sense the extreme anger Kate was feeling right now. Violet could feel her own temper rising.

"We're not safe anywhere, Kate, not even on the beach! Dammit, do you think I could just sit there for God know's _how_ long just _hoping_ you had found Jack and you all were coming back alive? I'm sorry, but I can't do that. And I'm _not_ going back to the beach, so you can just forget about that too Kate. I've come this far, I'm going to rescue Jack with you!" She said, crossing her arms. Kate was about to argue back, but Sayid shushed them.

"We can discuss this later, but right now, I want to see who is in this farmhouse." He said quietly.

"You think someone is actually living here?" Locke asked.

"An Other?" Violet asked quietly.

"I am not sure. I am going to go and find out." Sayid replied.

"You're taking the gun, right?" Kate asked.

"No, I am leaving it here. You and John must cover me from behind. I want whoever is here to believe we are coming in peace. I don't want this to become messy." Sayid answered, as he lowered his rifle to the ground and quietly began to make his way out of the bushes and slowly toward the house. Violet shook her head.

"This is a stupid idea. If the Others are there-"

"We don't know they are Others, Violet." Locke whispered, as he watched Sayid approaching the house. Violet was about to say something, but Kate motioned for her to be quiet, and pulled her down lower into the bushes. For there in front of them was an older man in a workman uniform, exiting the farmhouse quickly, holding a rifle. Everything happened so quickly. Violet had barely gotten a good look at the man when his gun went off and Sayid went down, clutching his shoulder tightly and groaning incomprehensibly. In the flash of an eye, Kate and Locke ran forward with their guns pointed at the man. Violet wasn't sure if she should stay in the bushes or follow them. She noticed that Rousseau had mysteriously vanished as well. Not wanting to stay alone in the bushes, Violet rushed forward, keeping herself behind Kate and Locke, knowing better than to go anywhere else. Kate gave Violet a sideways glance, which Violet knew meant that Kate was far from happy about Violet's presence, but was too busy keeping this man under her watchful eye.

"Stay where you are!" Kate ordered in a loud voice as she raised her gun at the man, who put up his hands, looking far from scared.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Locke asked, as Kate made her way over to Sayid, stepping sideways, never lowering her gun.

"My name is Mikhail Bakunin. I am the last living member of the Dharma Initiative." The man said in a thick Russian accent. Violet's heart skipped a beat. From what she knew about the Initiative, based on what she had learned from her time with the Others, the people working on the island for Dharma were all killed by the Others. How could this man be a member of the Dharma Initiative? Locke seemed to be wondering the same thing. But before he could say anything, he looked at Sayid and Kate.

"I have first aid training. Please, friend, let me remove the bullet from his shoulder. I did not mean to shoot him. I thought he was somebody else." Mikhail said, spreading his arms wide, seemingly harmless now. _But he just shot Sayid._ Violet thought to herself, staying behind Locke, as she watched Sayid forcing himself to sit up.

Both Locke and Kate were ready to refuse the man's offer, but Sayid forced himself to his feet, leaning heavily on Kate.

"Let him remove the bullet." He said weakly. Locke and Kate seemed shocked by this, but knew Sayid well enough to know he must have a plan.

"Come inside, then. I have a first aid kit in the kitchen." Mikhail said, motioning toward his house, arms still raised. Locke pushed him through the doors, still holding his gun, as Kate helped Sayid inside. Violet followed nervously, partially wishing she were still at the beach.

They soon found themselves sitting on a sofa as Mikhail began disinfecting Sayid's gunshot wound. Locke brought his gun with him, beginning to scope the place out. Kate held her gun with her at all times, never letting her eyes leave Mikhail Bakunin.

"So," Sayid started, forcing himself to ignore the pain. "How did you manage to be the last living member of the Dharma Initiative?" Violet leaned forward, interested to see if there were any flaws in his story, as Violet already knew how the Dharma Initiative died off.

"I've been living in this farmhouse, or what the Dharma Initiative called the Flame station for eleven years now, and I used to be a part of the Dharma Initiative. They were all good people, but they couldn't coexist with the island's original inhabitants. The Hostiles." Mikhail said as he pulled the bullet from Sayid's shoulder, causing him to wince in pain. Violet looked away. She knew Mikhail was referring to the Others when he said Hostiles, Juliet had told her that much.

"The Initiative tried to start a war with the Hostiles, one in which they lost. I chose not to participate, and I was the only member who survived the Purge. The Hostiles told me I was free to stay in the valley, as long as I never left. If I ever try to leave, they will kill me. So I have been here for eleven years." Mikhail said quietly. Violet grabbed a hold of the couch with her fingers, catching Mikhail's mistake. He was lying and she knew it.

Juliet had told her the Purge was started by the Others. In fact, Ben had been the one who had been a big part of it. He had killed his own father in that Purge, who had been a part of the Dharma Initiative as well. The Others had gassed the whole community, leaving no survivors, according to Juliet.

So unless Juliet had lied to her, Mikhail was far from telling the truth. She kept her mouth shut, sensing that Sayid had a plan, the way he was asking so many questions.

"What is the Flame used for?" He asked.

"Communication with the outside world. That is what the Satellite is for." Mikhail replied as he placed a piece of gauze bandage on Sayid's wound.

"If you can communicate with the outside world, then why hasn't help come for you?" Sayid wanted to know.

"None of it works anymore. It stopped working after the Purge. I suppose the Hostiles wanted to keep what they had done a secret." Mikhail replied, leaning back against his seat.

Violet's heart was racing. Had Sayid figured out that Mikhail was lying? What was Kate thinking? Where the _hell_ was Locke?

Mikhail stood finally and smiled.

"I shall get you all a fresh glass of iced tea, yes?" He asked. Sayid nodded with a smile as Mikhail exited the living room. Once Mikhail was out of earshot, Kate leaned over Violet toward Sayid.

"There's something wrong with this picture, Sayid. Why would the Others leave him here with all this equipment, even if it doesn't work? It seems too much of a risk, he could easily fix it." She said in a low whisper.

"I know, he is lying." Sayid answered, leaning in to make sure Mikhail could not overhear their conversation. "I do not believe he is part of the Dharma Initiative. I think he is one of them. The Others." Violet's heart skipped a beat. One of the Others? Did he know who she was, like the rest of the Others did? What if he was sent here to bring her back? Or worse, to kill her. She swallowed hard, trying to act brave.

"He is not alone either." Sayid added, causing both Kate and Violet to stare at him wide-eyed.

"What do you mean he's not alone?" Violet asked, looking around cautiously. "There's only four of us, and only two of you have guns." She knew Locke had a gun, but God only knew where he had vanished to.

"The horse outside had a saddle on it, but it is not meant for a man his size. Someone else is here." Sayid replied, motioning them all to continue the charade as Mikhail returned with three glasses of iced tea.

"Thank you Mikhail." Sayid said as he took a glass of iced tea and began to drink.

"It's amazing to have something ice cold." Kate added, as she grabbed her glass. Violet didn't trust it, just like she didn't trust Mikhail. He was one of _them_, and they were enemies. They had dragged her away from her camp, drugged her, kept her prisoner for weeks, threatened her, hurt her and took Walt away from her. Now they had Jack. She didn't trust a single one of them.

Except for Juliet, even though she knew she wasn't supposed to.

The four of them sat in silence, an awkward silence, and Violet immediately had a bad feeling. She didn't like the way Mikhail was staring at Sayid. She gripped the end of the couch. Finally Mikhail spoke again, with a quiet voice.

"Why do we all sit here, pretending like everything is alright, when we all know it has moved on to the next level?" He asked suddenly. Violet's stomach sank. He knew they were on to him. She shifted a little closer to Kate instinctively.

Everything happened in the flash of an eye. Mikhail shot forward at Sayid, and the two of them fell over the coffee table, spilling iced tea everywhere! Violet and Kate jumped off the couch, as the two men threw punches and rolled around. Violet stared wide-eyed, as Mikhail seemed ready to kill! Violet barely noticed Kate running off suddenly, but wanting to help Sayid, Violet ran over to the couch to grab Sayid's rifle, but as she turned her back, Mikhail had shoved Sayid down in enough time to run after Violet.

"Violet!" He shouted. Violet turned in just enough time to see Mikhail's hand coming at her.

* * *

"Violet, honey wake up." Violet heard a faint voice saying as she felt herself regaining consciousness. She forced her eyes open to see Kate beside her, holding a wet cloth over Violet's head. Violet could see stains of blood on the cloth already. Violet exhaled.

"What happened?" She asked, straining her eyes to focus on what she could.

"When you went to grab the gun, Mikhail knocked you out. One of his rings cut your forehead. You've been out for about five minutes." Kate replied, not looking happy.

"What about Sayid? Is he okay?" Violet asked, trying to sit up, but Kate pushed her back down.

"He's fine. I knocked Mikhail out with a chair and he's still unconscious. We tied him up. Locke's going to guard him while Sayid and I go down the trapdoor we found to see what we can find. I want you to stay up here with Locke and keep this on your head." Kate said as she took hold of Violet's hand and lifted it up to the cloth for Violet to hold.

"I feel fine, Kate, I want to come too. Don't make me stay up here with one of the Others." She said, forcing herself to sit up, dropping the cloth on the ground.

"Violet, he's unconscious. Sayid thinks someone else is here. They probably _aren't_ unconscious. You're safer up here." Kate said, standing up from the couch.

"I feel safer with you, Kate. Please." Violet asked quietly, knowing she shouldn't have followed in the first place, but now wanting to be involved.

Kate sighed, staring at Violet, considering her, wanting nothing more than to force Violet to stay here with Locke, whom she knew Violet would be safe with. But after everything Kate herself had been through, and knowing how strongly that was driving her to want to rescue Jack, she knew how Violet was feeling. In fact, Violet had been through so much worse with the Others, and for a longer period of time. How _could_ she say no? Still, Kate didn't like it.

"Okay, but you _have_ to stay close to Sayid and I at _all_ times! Got it?" Kate asked, standing up suddenly. Violet's eyes widened. Kate was serious, she was letting her come. Violet didn't know whether to smile or sit there, dumbfounded.

Violet didn't say anything, she only got up with a bit of a stumble, and followed Kate. She immediately saw Mikhail tied up on the ground, seemingly unconscious, and Sayid opening up a trapdoor right beside the Other. Violet peered down into darkness and swallowed. Now she wasn't so sure, but she didn't want to tell Kate that.

"I have found a flashlight, but there is only one. We have to stick together." Sayid said as he turned the flashlight on. "I will go down first. When I give the signal, you will know it is safe to follow." He crouched down on the ground and carefully lowered himself into the small hole in the ground, climbing down the small ladder provided. It was so dark, Violet couldn't even tell how deep it was. As she waited, she heard a voice behind her.

"How's your head?" It was Locke, holding his gun and staring at Mikhail every couple of minutes. Violet shrugged.

"It's been better." She said. Locke laughed.

"Be careful down there okay?" He asked, walking away to keep a better eye on their prisoner. Violet nodded, as Kate gave her sideways glance. Violet wasn't really sure how to interpret it, but she knew Kate was considering changing her mind about letting her go down the trapdoor.

"I'll be fine, Kate, stop worrying." Violet said quietly, patiently waiting for Sayid to give the word. Kate smiled to herself.

"I'll stop worrying when you stop being so damn stubborn and listening to all of us." She said with a bit of a laugh. Violet couldn't help but smile. Kate was right, and she couldn't deny it.

"It's clear, let's go." Sayid called up suddenly. Kate motioned for Violet to go first, and Violet carefully felt for the first rung of the ladder, and began lowering herself down. It wasn't very far down, and soon she felt Sayid's hands on her waist, helping her down the last few rungs and then she felt her feet on the hard floor. As Sayid turned to help Kate down, Violet took in her surroundings. They were in a basement of sorts, with shelves upon shelves of paperwork and boxes. It almost seemed like this room was primarily used for storage. She wondered why it was so important to be here.

Kate was soon joining the two of them, and they began searching the room. Kate and Sayid had their guns held high, checking every corner and making sure there was nobody else around. Violet followed them, wondering what else was in this room.

Violet turned her head quickly when she thought she heard a noise, but saw nothing. She looked up to Sayid and Kate, who seemingly did not hear what Violet had just heard. She ignored the thought, thinking it had just been Locke upstairs, but she soon learned that was far from true.

As Kate and Sayid moved on ahead, Violet passed an open door, and in the flash of an eye, she felt a hand covering her mouth, and a tight hand grabbing her arm, pulling her into the room. She tried to scream, but it was too late.

Kate and Sayid hadn't heard a thing.


	15. Standoff

**Chapter Fifteen: Standoff**

"Kate, come here for a moment!" Sayid called moments later, as Kate had been searching in a separate room. Kate followed the sound of Sayid's voice into a small room with shelves as high as the ceiling, filled with thick books. Kate puckered her brow as Sayid was thumbing through one of them. Kate held her gun close, to be safe, as Sayid continued his search.

"What is this place?" Kate asked, so fully concentrated on where they were and who else could be around that she never even noticed that Violet was no longer with her.

"It appears to be a storage room. All of these books seem to be operation manuals from the Dharma Initiative. See, they have the Dharma logo." Sayid pointed to the front of the book he was holding. "This one has maps of the island." Sayid kept it with him, as Kate turned to see what else was in this room. There was a rack of Dharma jumpsuits, similar to the one that Mikhail had been wearing. If it was true that Mikhail was one of the Others, then what was _his_ role in this Dharma station? Worse, if he wasn't alone here, who was the other person? More importantly, _where_ were they hiding?

"Violet, stay close to me, alright?" Kate finally said, realizing how dangerous it really was down here. Kate gripped her gun tightly as she turned in a circle, making sure nobody was sneaking up on them. Kate swallowed when she saw no sign of Violet within her vicinity. Her heart stopped as she circled once more.

"Violet?" She called out, scanning the room. Nothing. Kate's heart began racing.

"Sayid!" She yelled out, as she left the storage room and found Sayid out in the main hallway. Hoping she'd find Violet with Sayid, she immediately felt sick to her stomach when she only found Sayid looking at her curiously with his gun cocked.

"What is it Kate?" He asked.

"Violet's gone." Kate replied, joining him.

"Gone? I thought she was with you." Sayid pointed out, searching the area quickly.

"She was! Damn, she knows better than to run off on her own, _especially_ here."

"I do not think she would have run away, Kate." Sayid said as he looked around once more.

"You're absolutely right Sayid Jarrah." A voice said suddenly. Kate and Sayid quickly turned to the sound of the voice, guns raised, to find a woman holding Violet in front of her, holding a gun against her head. Kate recognized the woman immediately as one of the Others who had been at the dock when she had been taken. Kate's heart was beating wildly against her chest as she held her gun steady. She tried not to look at Violet, who was crying and shaking visibly.

"If I were you two, I would put the guns down." Ms. Klugh said calmly with wild eyes, as the gun against Violet's head never moved. Sayid and Kate hesitated, but Sayid finally placed his rifle slowly on the ground, his eyes never leaving Klugh's. Kate was more hesitant than Sayid, but they had no choice. Not when Violet's life was threatened. Kate dropped her gun. Klugh nodded.

"I'm glad we understand each other. Now, this is what you're both going to do for me. I want you to get your friend upstairs, and I want the three of you to leave this place and never come back. If you do, I will send Violet back to the beach in one piece, unharmed. I'll make sure she gets there safely. But if you do _not_ leave like I'm asking, I will kill her." Klugh pulled Violet closer to her roughly. "I hope this is clear."

Sayid and Kate exchanged glances as Violet's sobs rang in Kate's ears. Klugh's eyes never left them, and Violet could feel Klugh's nails digging into her arms. Kate's fear and anger were running through her body, as she stared at Violet. She had to think of something, and fast. She would _not_ leave Violet here, not with _them._ She didn't care what Klugh was saying. She knew she would kill Violet anyway, and wouldn't hesitate. There had to be a way.

"What's it gonna be?" Klugh asked again after a few moments, as she pressed the gun's barrel harder against Violet's temple, causing her to wince. It was then that they all heard a loud crash from upstairs. Klugh instinctively craned her neck to look up, and Kate charged, without thinking. She grabbed Klugh around the waist and ran her into the wall. The gun went off, and Klugh dropped it as she collided with the wall. Violet rolled away, hitting her head against the floor as she fell. Kate struggled with Klugh as she had attempted to reach for her gun again, but Kate threw some punches as she did. Klugh was punching back just as hard, and as Kate rolled away from the impact of one of them, Klugh dived for her gun, only to see a rifle in her face.

"Stand up." Sayid said as he pointed the rifle at Klugh's heart. Klugh stood up, arms up, her eyes never leaving Sayid's. She didn't look scared, but rather, confident. Kate saw that Sayid had everything under control, so she ran to Violet, who had gotten up of the floor, still crying. Kate grabbed her and pulled her close, comforting her as she cried.

"Upstairs!" Sayid yelled at Klugh, prodding her with his rifle. Klugh took the lead, slowly, as Sayid followed with his rifle. Kate pulled Violet away, and managed to convince her to follow, as she herself went up last, in case there was somebody else down here.

As Kate peeped her head out of the trapdoor, she first saw the look of horror on Violet's face. She quickly pulled herself out of the trapdoor and saw exactly what had caused both Sayid and Violet to look so worried.

Mikhail was gone.

"Locke!" Sayid called out, as he kept the rifle pointed at Klugh, but there was no answer. Kate sighed to herself. She knew it was a bad idea to leave Mikhail with Locke. When he was searching the house, he had found a computer with a chess game on it, and that was what he had been doing when Mikhail had attacked Sayid the first time. _He got himself distracted by that game!_

"Locke!" Sayid shouted out once more, and then they heard, in the near distance, Locke's quiet voice.

"I'm out here." He called from outside. Kate looked to Sayid for direction, and when he finally nodded, Kate grabbed a hold of Violet's arm, and followed Sayid outside, with Klugh in the lead with her hands on her head.

What they found outside was nearly a mirror image of Sayid and Klugh, as Mikhail was holding Locke hostage, with a gun against his head.

"I offer you a trade." Mikhail shouted, as Kate instinctively pushed Violet behind her, not being able to pull out her gun for fear of Mikhail's gun.

"Send Ms. Klugh over to me, and I will send you your man. At the same time. Then nobody will be hurt." Mikhail said as he held the gun against Locke's head.

"Don't do it, he's lying." Locke yelled out, as Mikhail moved the barrel closer to Locke.

"There is no choice in the matter if you want your man to live! Now send her over."

"We will do no such thing. You are one of them, and I do _not_ trust you." Sayid said, still holding the rifle behind Klugh's back. That was when Klugh began speaking.

"Mikhail," She started, and then she began speaking in Russian, staring straight ahead at Mikhail. Mikhail listened, and then began yelling back at her in the same language.

"Don't let her talk to him!" Locke called, as Mikhail continued to yell in Russian. The arguing between the two Others continued in Russian, as Locke, and Sayid both yelled out in English.

"Shut up!" Sayid called out.

"Don't let her speak to him! You don't know what they're saying!" Locke yelled. Then, without warning, Mikhail pulled his gun away from Locke's head, and shot Klugh in the heart! Violet screamed as Kate reached for her own gun. Before anybody could raise their gun to Mikhail, Mikhail then turned the gun on himself. Violet, with tears still in her eyes, turned her face away, and didn't see that Locke had grabbed a hold of Mikhails wrist and twisted the gun out of his hand. With Mikhail now on the ground, at their mercy, Kate and Sayid closed in, holding their guns at Mikhail. Violet opened her eyes to see Bea Klughs dead body beside her, her wide eyes staring lifelessly at the sky. Violet felt sick.

"Please, just kill me. Death is what I crave right now." Mikhail said as he looked up at the two guns pointed at him. Violet barely heard any of what was going on. She had been having nightmares of Danny Pickett's dead body, and that was only two days ago. Now she was staring at another dead body. Her head was spinning.

"I will not kill you Mikhail. You are coming with us, and you will help us find the rest of you, so we can find our man." Sayid said, and Violet turned quickly with fear in her eyes. They were bringing one of _them_ along with them? Suddenly, Violet wished she were back on the beach with Hurley. This was far more dangerous than she had expected.

* * *

By the time they had tied Mikhail up again, and Sayid had quickly gone through the basement of the house again to see if he could find anything else, night had fallen, and Sayid said it was time to move on. Violet felt exhausted, and no matter how many times Kate had tried asking her if she was okay, Violet couldn't find her tongue. She couldn't stop thinking of the two deaths that had occurred during the last few days, and it was causing her imagination to run wild. How had her father done it? How had he taken his own life? Since she had gotten the letter from Juliet, she had been obsessing about the cause of death. She couldn't stop thinking about it.

As Sayid led Mikhail from the farmhouse, with Violet, Kate and Locke following close behind, Mikhail was beginning to chuckle.

"May I ask what you find funny about this situation?" Sayid asked, still holding his rifle up. Mikhail shrugged.

"I find it humourous how you lead me around like you expect me to lead you to my people's camp, when I do not have any plan to do such a thing. I would die before I betray my people." He said confidently, as he stared right at Sayid, who stared back with raised eyebrows.

"That is humourous, but you know what is even more funny? The fact that I do _not_ need you to lead me there. You see, I have found the Dharma electrical maps down in your cellar. There is a place not very far from here that is indicated by a lot of electrical wiring. I'm assuming that much electricity would power a small community, and so I gather that is where your people are." He said, as-a-matter-of-factly. Mikhail just stared at him, his expression never changing, but Sayid offered a smile. He pushed Mikhail forward, and they began walking. But as they were walking away from the farmhouse, a sudden explosion threw them all forward and crashing onto the ground. Violet, coughing from the impact, turned on her back and saw the Dharma station up in flames. Locke was the only one who didn't seem surprised, and Sayid noticed.

"What did you do?" He yelled, staring at Locke. "That was our only way of making contact with the outside world! I could have made it all work!"

"I'm sorry, Sayid. It was the chess game." Locke replied, standing up calmly. Sayid raised an eyebrow.

"What?" He shouted.

"It was the chess game! I beat it." Locke said as he rubbed debris off his pants, standing up.

"What the hell does that have to do with the explosion, John?" Kate asked, helping Violet to her feet. Locke drew in a breath, feeling all eyes on him.

"When I won, it told me that if there was an incident with the Hostiles of some sort, to enter 77." He explained. Sayid rolled his eyes.

"Is that what you were doing when you were _supposed_ to be watching him?" He yelled, nodding his head at Mikhail. Locke didn't answer, as he placed his knapsack on his back. Silence ensued, as everyone kept their eyes on Locke. Finally, Sayid exhaled impatiently.

"You should not have tamperd with anything! Our chances of communicating with the outside world just blew up." He snapped, and with a final glare at Locke, he turned back to Mikhail, and began leading the group from the Flame once again.

As Violet followed the group, she turned once to look at the destruction in front of her. She smiled to herself secretely, knowing that their one hope of getting off this island was now gone. She knew that was selfish of her, but she had nothing to go back to. Her life was over back home.

The only part of her that mattered now was here on this island.


	16. Sharing With Kate

**Chapter Sixteen: Sharing with Kate**

Violet didn't sleep that night. At first, she thought it was the fact that Mikhail was still with them, but Locke and Sayid were staying up in shifts to watch him. Violet trusted Sayid to watch him, but she was a little skeptical of Locke after what had happened at the Flame. Still, it wasn't Mikhail that was on her mind.

She sat up and looked over to see Kate fast asleep. Quietly, she got up and tiptoed away. Sayid, who was on watch, looked at her, and nodded when she mouthed "bathroom."

Violet found a small clearing not far from where they had set up camp for the night. She noticed the moon was full, and bright, casting enough light down on her that she could see all around her.

She peered over her shoulder, and when she saw she truly was alone, she lowered herself down on a rock, and pulled out the letter.

Again, she scanned it over, every detail, desperate for any new information that would connect her to her father. Violet clung to the letter tight, the only thing she would ever have from the man she always hated, yet never knew.

She hated herself for hating him so much, when all along, he had loved her, taking his own life in thinking he lost both his daughters forever. Violet would never understand. She would never be able to take back all the horrible things she had said about him, felt about the man. She would never understand why Katie had never told her the truth about her father, about how he had left them for another woman. _She was trying to protect me from the truth._ Violet thought to herself, as tears flooded her eyes. _She was always trying to protect me._ As Violet thought of her sister, and of her father, and mother, all dead, tears welled up in her eyes. Anger at how unfair her life was overwhelmed her, and she threw her head down in her arms and cried, clinging to the crumpled letter in one hand.

Violet forced her sobs into her hands, hoping it would be enough to muffle the sound. She was far enough from camp, but still close enough that she would be heard. Especially with Sayid's sharp ears.

Violet felt her body trembling. It was getting colder, and she had no idea how long she had been out here. By now, Sayid was probably starting to wonder where she had vanished to. It didn't take _that_ long to go to the bathroom.

She dried her tears and opened the letter again, seeing the marks on the page where her tears had smudged her father's words.

"What's that you got there?" Violet jumped up and whirled around to see Locke staring at her. Violet quickly folded the paper and shoved it back in her pocket.

"Nothing." She wiped her eyes on her arm as Locke looked at inquisitively. He looked off into the night.

"What are you doing out here all alone? You must be freezing." He pointed out. Violet only shrugged, as she shivered a little.

"Well, why don't you come on back to the fire. Everyone's wondering where you'd gone off to." Locke said, as he motioned back toward the way they came.

Violet followed Locke quietly, knowing she would her an earful from Kate when she got back.

* * *

When they arrived back at the camp, Sayid offered her a smile, indicating he was glad to see her back. Kate, however, did not look amused at all.

"See? I told you she couldn't have gone far." Locke said as Violet's eyes never left Kate's, waiting for her to say something.

Nothing.

Swallowing, Violet went back near the fire where she had been sleeping, glad to feel the warmth as she sat down. Locke joined Sayid further away, talking quietly. _Probably about what to do about Mikhail. _Violet thought to herself as she stared into the fire.

It wasn't long before Kate joined her by the fire, quietly. Violet avoided eye contact. She knew Kate had to be mad. She always was when Violet went off on her own, but since Violet's return, it had been even more tense. _Especially the way she yelled at me yesterday when I went looking for Karl._

Kate didn't say a word, she just grabbed a stick and started to move the logs around the fire. Violet swallowed. Finally, Kate broke the silence.

"What's going on with you Violet?" She asked, glancing sideways at Violet. Violet's stomach sank.

"What makes you think something's going on?" She asked, still staring into the fire.

"Ever since we left the Others, you've been...distant. And you're not talking about it." Kate explained.

"Talking about what?"

"What's got you so upset."

"I'm not upset."

"Dammit Violet, since when did you stop talking to me?" Kate snapped. Violet finally looked up and met Kate's stare. She sighed.

"Look, it's nothing, it's just..." Violet looked at Kate and saw in her eyes how worried she was. Violet looked down.

"I've been thinking about him." She said quietly. Kate puckered her brow.

"Who? Jack?" She asked. Violet shook her head.

"No." She paused. "My...my dad."

Kate looked confused.

"Your dad?" She asked. Violet nodded as she looked down at her folded hands.

"He's dead." She managed to say, with some difficulty.

"Dead? Violet, you don't know that. How _could_ you know that?" Kate asked, not understanding.

"The Others have a file on me." Violet replied quietly, as she began to feel sleepy. "They told me all about his life. Why he left us, why he wasn't there for my mom's funeral." Violet paused, as tears began to fill her eyes.

"They told me why he wanted to see me after all these years, how long he waited for us at the gate, how long he waited for any news...Then he blamed himself, wrote a note, and...and..." Violet didn't realize she had started to cry, and she couldn't finish her sentence. She didn't have to, though, Kate could figure out the rest.

"Violet." Kate started, rubbing Violet's shoulder. "Honey, I know you're upset, but..." Kate was afraid to say it, knowing how vulnerable Violet was right now, but she had to.

"_They_ told you that. They may have told you that just to upset you. They're liars. How can you be sure your dad is dead? You have no proof." She said it carefully.

Violet was silent, never saying a word. Kate was right. It _was_ the Others. How could she know for sure it wasn't just part of their plan.

But it wasn't just _any_ of them who had told her. It was Juliet who had given her the story. It was Juliet who had stayed with her as she cried after she had first found out about her father's death. It was Juliet who had secretely slipped her the letter. Somehow, Violet knew it was the truth.

"She wouldn't lie about something like that." Violet muttered quietly. Kate stared at her.

"Who?" She asked. "Juliet? Violet, sweetie, she's one of them. She helped keep you prisoner. How can you trust her?" She asked.

Violet never did answer her question, she only wiped her eyes.

"My father killed himself because he believed my sister and I were dead." She paused. "I believe her. And if she's right, then there is absolutely _nothing_ waiting for me off this island." Violet turned and rolled over on her side, ready to go to sleep.

"I hope we _never_ get off this island."


	17. The Barracks

**Chapter Seventeen: The Barracks**

It was only a few hours later when the sun rose in the sky, waking Violet and the others up. Violet knew it was early, but Sayid was already dousing the fire and getting his pack ready to go. Groaning, Violet finally got up to see Locke checking the ropes behind Mikhail's back, and Kate grabbing some fruit from a nearby tree. Violet knew they'd be heading out within the next half hour. Knowing Sayid, he would want to travel as long as the sun was up, to ensure reaching their destination quicker. And seeing the determination on Kate's face, she was just as eager to reach this place marked on the Dharma maps, the Barracks, as it was called. Kate was convinced that was where they were holding Jack. She had said if the Others were smart, they wouldn't keep Jack at the Hydra, on that other island, because Sawyer, Kate and Violet all knew where that was, but they wouldn't expect them to find them at the Barracks. It would be an unexpected visit. Violet thought it was a brilliant plan.

Nobody said anything for the first couple of hours, as the five walked in silence. Rousseau soon joined them again, claiming she had been keeping close, just waiting until they were far enough away from the Flame. With Rousseau on their side, Violet felt safer already. After all, Rousseau had lived in this jungle for the last 16 years. If anyone could get them anywhere safely, it was _her._

Violet didn't say much to Kate, feeling torn between what Kate had said, and what Juliet had told her about her father. What if Juliet _had_ lied to her? What if her father truly was alive somewhere, and all that was some ruse to get Violet upset. After all, the Others were ruthless monsters, who cared about nobody but themselves.

Still, Violet couldn't believe Juliet would lie about something so important, even if Ben _had_ planned it. No matter how many times Violet tried to deny it, she couldn't help but think that Juliet wasn't like the rest of the Others. The way Juliet had risked her own cover by keeping Violet's second escape a secret was reason enough for Violet to wonder where Juliet's allegiance truly lied. Why had she been so ready to protect Violet, a prisoner? _Calm down Violet, I'm not going to hurt you._ Juliet had said that day. _I'm going to pretend like this never happened, okay? I'm not going to say anything to Ben. I understand how much you want to leave, Violet. I feel your pain, more than you can understand right now._ Violet had pondered what she had meant by that ever since she had said it. _That_ alone made Violet wonder what Juliet's story really was.

"Violet, you okay?" Kate broke the silence suddenly, staring sideways at Violet with a concerned look on her face. Violet shrugged.

"Yeah, just thinking." She replied. Violet also became aware of the conversation Sayid was having with Mikhail.

"The Dharma booklets made mention of a submarine. Do you know anything about a submarine, Mikhail?" Sayid asked, as he held his rifle steady at Mikhail's back. Violet was the only one who noticed Locke's sudden interest in the topic. Mikhail only smirked.

"Of course there is a submarine. How else do you think we arrived on this island?" He lowered his voice as he shook his head, muttering something in Russian. Violet guessed it wasn't a flattering compliment.

"That makes no sense. If you have a way to, and from the island, why the hell would anyone come back?" Kate asked, rolling her eyes, as they continued walking. Mikhail flashed another smile, as he looked at Kate through his one eye.

"I don't expect you or your people to understand. You wouldn't understand, and that is because you are flawed." He shook his head. "Flawed people don't make it on his list." Locke turned his head immediately.

"What list?" He asked.

"The list was made by a man who brought all of us here. He's a magnificent man." Mikhail said admiringly. Violet shook her head.

"Who? Ben?" She asked, rolling her eyes. Mikhail caught her gaze and grew very serious.

"Not Ben. Ben is nobody, when compared to this man." Though insulted, Mikhail continued, staring at Kate.

"The reason you weren't on the list is because you are angry, weak, and very frightened. That is why you could never understand the way we live, the way we do things, or why we choose to be here on this island." Kate and Sayid exchanged looks, with rolls of their eyes, but Mikhail ignored them, turning his attention to Violet, who's stomach sank.

"But you, young lady. Although you were not on the list either, there are still many of us who believe you should have been." He said, offering a small smile as he stared at her. Violet stared back, wide-eyed, confused. What was this list? Who created it? Why wasn't she on it, and _why_ did some think she should have been? Violet swallowed hard, as Kate approached them quickly, standing in front of Violet, staring down Mikhail.

"Don't you talk to her, you bastard." Kate said angrily, as she grabbed hold of Violet's arm, walking her forward. Mikhail only watched after them, as Violet stared back for a moment, wishing she could ask him more.

For the rest of the walk, Kate made sure Violet was within a reachable distance at all times. She hadn't been too happy that Mikhail had opened his mouth to the girl. Violet couldn't understand why.

"Why'd you pull me away like that? We could have asked him what he meant." Violet had said.

"God only knows what he meant. We don't _need_ to understand these people, Violet." Was all Kate had said, and now, Kate wasn't letting her out of her sight. Violet guessed she was still upset about Violet following them in the first place, and then disappearing the night before. Not wanting to cause an unneeded fuss, Violet obliged, and followed Kate closely.

Locke and Sayid had their own little argument happening behind them, as they took turns holding onto Mikhail's collar to keep him close. True, his hands were tied, but who knew what he could be capable of if they only turned their gaze for a moment.

Violet only heard bits of their argument, but she knew it was about the explosion back at the Flame. She chose to ignore it. She weas still secretely glad that their means of communicating with the outside world had gone up in smoke.

"You might want to come and take a look at this." Rousseau said suddenly, as she emerged from the bushes. She had gone off ahead on her own to do some checking around, to make sure everything was safe up ahead. Now she had come back with news.

They followed Rousseau through the jungle until they reached the tree line. Finally out of the jungle, Violet could see that the sun really was shining, but that wasn't all she saw.

What she, and everyone else, saw in front of them was what appeared to be gigantic pylons, made out of cement, surrounding the area in front of them like a fence would a yard. They were about as tall as the trees, and as thick as Hurley, and nothing in between them. It made no sense to Violet. Was it some kind of modern day Stonehenge?

What was also strange was how the pylons continued on and on, seeming to never end as they were built for as far as the eye could see.

"This was marked on the map." Sayid said suddenly. "We're here." Violet's heart skipped a beat. _Jack._ She thought, and began to run forward. Sayid jumped forward and grabbed a hold of her arm, yanking her back roughly.

"Don't! Do you see those large pylons? They are sensors! You might trigger something!" Sayid hissed, as he let go of Violet's arm. Violet swallowed hard as she stared at the pylons.

"You would not trigger anything if you tried. Those sensors haven't worked in years." Mikhail said suddenly. Sayid offered a sarcastic smile.

"I'm sure they haven't." He looked back at the pylons. "We'll have to go around them."

"You will be wasting your time. This security perimeter continues all the way around the Barracks. There is no going around." Mikhail laughed. "If you don't believe me, check your map." Sayid, never flinching or showing any emotion whatsoever, reached into his pocket and pulled out the map. Violet and Kate stared over his arms to see that Mikhail was telling the truth. Whatever these pylons were, they were circling the entire area.

Sighing, Violet looked up in just enough time to see Locke doing the unthinkable.

Locke grabbed Mikhail and pushed him through the pylons.

"Locke!" Violet screamed out, as Sayid and Kate looked up quickly, seeing what Violet had seen.

A strange noise filled their ears, as Mikhail stood on the other side of the fence, staring straight at Locke with a strange smile on his face. Violet looked around for the source of the noise, but then she heard Mikhail speak.

"Thank you." He said quietly.

Then it happened.

A loud buzzing sound filled the air, as Mikhail's back arched violently. He began convulsing, as Mikhail began to foam at the mouth, his eye twitching and his mouth working frantically. Arms still tied behind his back, he looked like a puppet being thrown around, this way and that. Violet couldn't tear her eyes away.

It all happened in the span of a few seconds, as Mikhail's ears began to bleed deeply, blood pouring down his neck, onto the ground, as foam still seeped from his mouth. Violet felt sick to her stomach, as tears filled her eyes, she was unable to look away. Kate must have noticed the horror in Violet's eyes, because she grabbed Violet and turned her around, holding her close, as she herself continued to watch the horror unfold in front of them.

With a final jerk of his body, Mikhail fell to the ground in a bloodied heap, and with a final twitch, he was still.

Kate didn't let go of Violet, who was shaking herself now. She just looked over at Locke, who appeared unemotional. Sayid approached him angrily.

"What the hell were you thinking? We could have used him. Traded him for Jack!" He snapped.

"What makes you think they would have traded us this guy for Jack?" Locke asked angrily.

"What makes you so certain they wouldn't have?" Sayid snapped back.

"Pardon me, but how the hell was I supposed to know he was gonna die if I shoved him through the pylons like that?"

"We discuss things before we act impulsively!"

"I was taking a step forward here! You weren't doing anything useful but looking at your damn map!"

"Stop it!" They turned to see Violet had broken away from Kate and was staring at them with red eyes, and narrow eyebrows.

"Show a little respect. Someone just _died._" She said in a quiet voice, as she walked away from the group, far enough to be alone. Kate didn't go after her, she understood she needed a moment. She sighed.

"We have to keep going. He was right though. We can't go around. The only way to get past these things is to go over them." She said. Sayid nodded his agreement.

"You are right. We'll have to cut down a tree and go that way." He turned to Locke. "You brought an axe, I believe?" He raised an eyebrow. Locke didn't say a word as moved toward his backpack, opening it. Sayid glanced in, saw something that seemed hidden, and he jumped forward, ripping Locke's bag open a little more.

"What the hell are you doing?" Locke asked angrily. Violet turned. Sayid sighed as he picked up what was in Locke's pack. Sticks of C4. Dynamite. Violet swallowed.

"Where did you get this?" Sayid questioned. Locke stared at him for a moment before answering.

"The Flame." He answered. Sayid handed the brick back to Locke without ever losing eye contact. Sayid moved in closer, invading John's personal space. Locke did not seemed bothered one bit. Violet felt the tension inside her own body building.

"Why are you here, John? Are you really here for Jack? Or do you have your own motives for this trip?" Sayid asked the question as though he didn't really expect an answer, because he turned from Locke, now carrying an axe, and moved to the nearest tree. As Locke zipped his backpack up again, he caught a glance at Violet. Violet quickly looked away, unsure of what was happening. A man had just died a violent death. _How did dad kill himself? Was it violent like that?_ She shook her head, trying to forget about her father, and concentrate on what was going on.

It wasn't long until Sayid and Kate had successfully chopped down a thin tree, and propped it over one of the pylons, holding it steady on the bottom. Violet felt sick to her stomach, as she couldn't stop looking over at Mikhail's dead body. _What did dad look like when he died?_

"Violet, you okay?" Kate asked suddenly, noticing Violet's pale complexion. Violet swallowed, still staring at Mikhail. Kate grabbed Violet's face and turned her to look at her.

"Stop looking, Violet, there's nothing we can do about it okay? You're just going to get upset. We have to go and get Jack, okay?" Kate asked. Violet nodded, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"I know. I'm sorry." She said quietly. Kate smiled.

"You don't have to be sorry." She said, turning toward the tree. "Let's go."

Kate was the first to agree to climb over the pylons, much to Violet's hesitation.

"What if the same thing happens to you?" She asked in a low whisper, looking over at Mikhail again.

"Hey, we're not going through it, okay? We're going _over_ it. Nothing's going to happen." Kate had replied. Violet wasn't so sure, and she watched nervously as Kate climbed up the tree slowly, while Sayid held the bottom steady. Violet watched as Kate edged nearer to the pylon. She was hesitating, and Violet knew that Kate was wondering the same thing she had wondered.

Bravely, Kate continued maneuvering herself forward on the tree trunk, passing the pylon.

Nothing happened. She was still alive.

Violet breathed out in relief, as Kate hung down from the tree and landed softly on the ground, on the other side of the pylons. She waved over to show she was okay. Sayid nodded.

"Alright," He turned to Violet. "You're next."

* * *

Once Rousseau had landed on the ground on the other side of the pylons, all five of them were successfully safe, and were now on their way toward the Barracks. Violet knew they were getting closer and closer to Jack, and with Jack, the Others. Fear and excitement filled her. Excitement of seeing Jack, and rescuing him, and fear that they would fail, and be caught again. _Ben..._

Violet was beginning to grow tired too, at times regretting running off into the jungle for this adventure. She had nearly been killed more than once already, and had seen two strangers die in violent ways. _Dad..._

It wasn't long until Danielle turned to them all and shushed them, motioning them to get down. They did, and followed her through the bushes on all fours, keeping silent. Both Kate and Sayid had their rifles ready, as they knew they were coming closer and closer to the Others' home. Violet's heart was hammering wildly against her chest, as she did everything she could to control her breathing. What if somehow the sensors in those pylons had been triggered and the Others knew they were here? The thought made her sick to her stomach.

Rousseau motioned for them to stop, and she pointed through a break in the bushes. Violet saw what she was looking at. They had made it.

What they saw looked like a suburban community. Yellow houses, with white fences and window shutters, swingsets, and clotheslines with the day's laundry drying. It was a surreal sight. For a moment, Violet forgot they were on a deserted island.

"What the hell...?" Kate whispered as she seemed just as shocked as Violet felt. But the houses and the suburbia feel were all forgotten, when Violet spotted Jack.

He was running toward them!

"Jack!" Violet said, getting up to run forward. Sayid grabbed her arm once again, and pulled her back.

"What are you doing? It's Jack." Kate said, seemingly just as surprised as Violet was.

"Yeah, he's right _there._" Violet said.

"We don't know who else is around. We will just wait a moment to see how this plays out." Sayid replied, watching Jack. Violet hoped he was running toward them. Maybe he had seen them and was coming to them. Violet smiled, waiting, but the smile was quickly wiped away when Jack stopped, turned, and caught a football!

Violet's heart stopped! Jack, smiling, tossed the football back to the Other who had thrown it.

Tom.

What was going on? There had to be more to this. Jack _had_ to have a good reason to be doing this. _He can't be one of them._

Nobody spoke. Nobody moved. Nobody knew what to say, as they watched one of their own, smiling, and playing catch with the Others.


	18. A Failed Attempt

**Chapter Eighteen: A Failed Attempt**

"We have to get out there and get him!" Violet hissed as she looked through the bushes at her friend Jack, who caught the football from Mr. Friendly once again. Locke shook his head.

"It's too dangerous in broad daylight. There's only four of us who have guns." He said, as he looked over at Sayid, Kate and, that was when they noticed that Rousseau had slipped away. Locke sighed.

"Make that three of us."

"I still say we jump in there. Three guns are more than we can see right now. Do you _see_ anybody out there with guns?" Violet asked, getting impatient. Sayid stared at her.

"I know you are anxious to get to Jack, but we have to think about this." He pointed out.

"What exactly are you saying?" Kate asked. Sighing, Sayid gave his reasons.

"What makes you think he wants to be rescued?" He asked. Violet turned and stared at him dumbfounded.

"Are you actually serious? You think he _wants_ to be here?" She asked.

"I know it sounds bizarre, but look at what he's doing." Sayid replied.

"He's gotta have a good reason." Violet added.

"Or the Others have done something to him." Kate pointed out. Violet turned and stared at her.

"Like what?" She asked nervously. Kate shrugged.

"Maybe they brainwashed him. They were doing some kind of brainwashing technique with that girl's boyfriend, Karl. Regardless, we _still_ have to get him out of here." She said, now looking at Sayid.

"Be that as it may, we cannot just jump out right now. We have to have a plan first." He pointed out. Before either Violet or Kate could argue, one of the house doors opened, and Juliet walked out, approaching Jack with a smile.

Jack joined her, and they began talking, _laughing_, as Jack playfully tossed her the football.

"Something is _definitely _wrong with him." Kate pointed out. Why Violet suddenly felt defensive, she would never be able to explain. Not on Jack's part, but on Juliet's. She felt guilty for thinking it.

"Who is she?" Sayid asked, as he pointed at the blonde woman.

"She's one of _them._ She was one of the ones who were keeping Violet prisoner." Kate whispered. Violet sighed out loud.

"Her name's Juliet." She added, as she watched another house door opened. This time, her stomach dropped to her knees.

Ben rolled out in a wheelchair.

Violet began breathing heavily as horrible flashbacks of room 16 came back to her. Kate noticed Violet's visible trembling.

"Violet, calm down, he can't get to you. He doesn't know we're here." Kate whispered. Sayid turned to Kate.

"That is Henry Gale, isn't it?" He asked, remembering the day he tortured the man in the hatch. Kate shook her head.

"His name's Ben. He's their leader." She explained.

"That's not what Mikhail said." Violet added, breathing out slowly, prying her eyes away from Ben. Kate stared at her with raised eyebrows.

"When will you realize they are all a bunch of liars, and we can't trust _anything_ they say, Violet?" She said, a little bitterly. Violet stared at her, feeling angry, and finally turned back to watch what was going on, as Sayid continued discussing with Kate.

Jack approached Ben and they began talking as well. There weren't any smiles this time, but when Ben extended his hand, Jack shook it. Violet puckered her brow. Jack was making deals with the Others? _Does Jack trust them?_ Violet didn't know what to think. She swallowed hard, as she became aware of the conversation happening behind her.

"This _is_ Jack we're talking about. You only got back a few days ago, which means only a few days have passed since he's been here with them. He's gotta have a plan. We trust Jack, don't we?" Locke asked. Kate nodded wholeheartedly, and Sayid didn't move.

"You could be right, but the only way we'll be able to know for sure is if we ask him what it is. We will wait until nightfall, then we move in and talk to Jack. If he hasn't been compromised by the Others, then we will make our escape. If it is his decision to stay, we will just have to leave quietly." He said. Nobody said anything, and so the plan was set. Violet couldn't believe Jack would choose to stay here, he _wouldn't_.

There wouldn't be any way of knowing for sure now until nightfall. Until then, they could do nothing but wait, and watch.

* * *

Violet wasn't exactly sure when she had dozed off, but when her eyes had begun to feel heavy earlier, Kate had told her to rest her head for a bit; she would wake her if anything was wrong. Violet hadn't expected to fall asleep, but sitting in utter silence, waiting for hours was exhausting, and sleep had overcome her.

She woke up to the sound of Kate, Sayid and Locke cocking their rifles and guns. She sat up, and listened to their plan, as she rubbed her eyes.

"Alright, that house right there is where Jack went in about five minutes ago. Everybody else has gone. The coast is clear. Kate, I want you to go in from behind. I'll go in through the side, but I will wait. I think Jack should see you first. Locke, you cover the front." Sayid said. Violet narrowed her eyebrows.

"Okay, so who am I going with?" She wanted to know. The silence made her stomach sink. They weren't going to let her come. She stared at Kate with angry eyes.

"You don't expect me to just stay here." She said, more of a statement than a question. Kate nodded.

"You bet we do." She said, giving Violet a hard stare, one that told her she was not going to argue the point on this, _or_ follow after them. This was far too dangerous.

"You're actually serious. You let me come with you, and now you're just going to leave me here?" Violet asked. Kate raised an eyebrow.

"Pardon me, but you followed us _after_ I told you not to. By the time you caught up with us, it was too late to send you back. Did you think all along we were going to let you risk your life? Sorry, no, you stay here in the bushes." She turned and stared at Violet seriously. "I know you're mad, but you have got to do this for me. It's really important to me, okay? I know you don't like to listen to us, and you want to do things your way, because you want to help Jack, but the best way for you to help Jack is to stay here in the bushes. Please Violet, I'm asking you to respect me, just this once."

Violet knew Kate was serious, and desperate for her to listen for once. As angered as it made her, Violet knew that fighting with her right now wasn't going to help Jack, so she sat back down, rolling her eyes.

"Okay, I'll stay." She swallowed hard. "But what if _they_ find me?" That was when Sayid reached into his knapsack and pulled out a small gun, the one that Mikhail had used to kill Bea Klugh. He checked for bullets, cocked it and handed it to Violet.

"You use this." He said, as Kate stared at him wide-eyed.

"Sayid!" She hissed.

"You want to leave her here unarmed when _they_ are this close?" Sayid asked.

That ended the discussion.

Violet held the gun close as Locke, Sayid and Kate emerged from the bushes quietly, and Kate gave a reassuring look back at Violet. Violet lowered herself lower to the ground, feeling more fear now than she ever had. She had never fired a gun before, nor did she want to. What if the Others had found her? She would have to use the gun, or let them take her, or worse, _kill_ her.

She crouched even lower in the bushes.

* * *

Kate gave a final nod to Sayid, as they separated from each other. Locke had already tiptoed away to cover the front of the house.

Kate steadied her breathing as she scanned her surroundings, holding her gun still, as she slowly made her way to the house's backdoor. She forced herself not to think of Violet, over in the bushes by herself. If anybody had seen them emerge from the bushes, they would search the area, and find Violet. God only _knew_ what would happen then.

She erased the thought from her mind. Sayid had assured her there was nobody around, and if the Others had _seen_ them coming through the bushes, they would have been ambushed by now. So Kate continued.

She tried the door and found it was unlocked. Cocking her gun, she entered the house silently, unsure if she would find Jack, _only_ Jack. If he truly was a prisoner, there would be somebody guarding him. _But nobody went inside the house with him._ She wondered to herself.

Kate found herself in a hallway, and she tiptoed down quietly, checking the rooms beside her on the way. Nobody was around.

That was when she heard music.

Her heart started hammering as she thought about what she would say to Jack when she saw him. How would she address what she had seen earlier? Why _was_ he playing football with one of _them? _She tried not to think about that right now. Locke was right, Jack _had_ to have a plan. Nothing else made sense.

As Kate turned a corner carefully, she saw him.

Jack.

He was sitting at a piano, and he was the one playing the music. Kate swallowed hard. What was going on?

She said nothing, only watched him.

It didn't take long before Jack sensed someone else in the room with him, and he turned and stared at her.

Right at her.

Kate's eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them away, as she offered a small smile.

"Hey." She said, her voice cracking a little. Jack was speechless for about a second, and then he breathed out, his breath shaky. Kate puckered her brow. He was nervous. _Is he scared of me?_

"Jack? What's-"

"Kate, get out of here, now!" He shouted, causing Kate's stomach to drop. His words stung her, as she felt anger filling her up inside.

"What are you talking about, Jack, we came here to-"

"Kate, dammit, they're _watching_ me." Jack turned and stared at a small camera up in the corner of the living room. Kate's stomach lurched, as her eyes widened.

"Let's get out of here!" She shouted, ready to run, but Jack didn't move. She stared at him dumbfoundedly.

"What the hell are you doing, Jack?" She hissed, holding her gun shakily. They would be coming for her, what was he _doing?_

"I'm not going anywhere, Kate, but you have to get out of here!" Jack said in a quiet voice. Kate took a step forward, anger and frustration flowing through her veins.

"I'm not leaving without you!"

Their conversation was interrupted as the front door of Jack's cabin burst open, and three armed men ran in quickly, one holding a gun against Jack's neck as the other two forced Kate to the ground, disarming her as she fell. As she struggled for breath, she saw out of the corner of her eye a bunch of men dragging a struggling Sayid through the door, forcing him to his knees. All of the Others were shouting, as Jack was trying to reason with them.

"Don't hurt them." Jack said.

"Shut up, doc, this ain't about you!" One of the armed men said, as he turned his attention towards Kate and Sayid.

"Alright, who else is with the two of you?" He asked. Kate and Sayid shared a quick glance, and then Kate spoke, her voice steady, despite the lie she was telling.

"Nobody, it was just the two of us." She said quietly. She knew Locke must not have been found, or they would have mentioned three. It was up to him now.

As the men forced Kate and Sayid to their feet, cuffing them and dragging them away from Jack's house, Kate prayed to God that Locke would find Violet and get her the hell out of here before they found out where she was.

* * *

Tom was outside with an Other named Mike. Tom held a walkie talkie close to his ear.

"We found Austen and Jarrah. They were both armed. They claim it's just the two of them." The voice on the other end reported. "Should we tell Ben?"

"Yeah, fill him in. Get some of your men and do a search around the perimeter. I don't care if they said they came alone. They may have backup in the treeline." Tom yelled into the walkie, as Mike took a drag of his cigarette. The man on the other end of the walkie rogered that, as Juliet walked out of her house, crossing her arms for warmth. She stared hard at Tom.

"What the hell's going on? You're loud enough to wake up the whole jungle." She snapped. Tom exhaled.

"Sorry, Jules, but some of _them_ came to rescue the doc. We captured Austen and Jarrah, but we think they were lying about coming alone. We're doing a check of the area." He said, tucking his walkie back in his pants. Juliet seemed surprised.

"How did they find us?" She wanted to know. Tom shrugged.

"We don't know yet. I assume we'll be questionning them all separately. That's probably what Ben will want." He said.

"Do you really believe there's another one of them out there?" Juliet asked, as she peered out at the treeline.

"Maybe we should just fire a round of bullets that way and see if anyone screams." Mike replied with a smile, as he puffed his cigarette. Juliet stared at him emotionless. Mike had no problem killing people if he had to.

"I doubt that will be necessary, if Tom has a team doing a search of the perimeter." Juliet turned her head back toward the treeline. "If anyone's out there, they'll be found."

* * *

Violet could feel sweat beading on her forehead, as she could see the Others running around with guns out by the houses. _They've been caught, I _know_ it._ She thought to herself, not knowing any other reason why the Others would be on guard like this.

She didn't know what to do. She didn't know if she should try and run back through the trees and back over the pylons to the beach, or if she should just sit still and hope to God that one of her friends would come back and tell her what to do.

She clung to the gun like a security blanket, not sure if she would be able to shoot it if she had to, but the Others seemed to be walking closer toward the treeline, and she had nowhere to go. If she got up to run, they would hear her and would they hesitate to shoot?

She didn't move.

Violet thought she heard rustling in the bushes behind her, but she knew she was just being paranoid. It was a windy night, the trees would be rustling, not to mention there were probably crickets or small rabbits scurrying around. She ignored it.

She kept her eyes focused on the scene in front of her. People talking into walkie talkies, belting out orders left, right and center to "find whoever's out there." Violet wished she had just stayed with Hurley. She wondered how he had felt when he figured out Violet wasn't coming back from the washroom. She owed him a huge apology.

The rustling behind her continued, seeming to get louder, but Violet didn't think to turn. It wasn't until she head the cock of a gun that her heart skipped a beat.

It wasn't the trees after all.

"Don't move, lovely." A man's voice said gruffly. Violet swallowed hard. From where she was crouching on the ground, she knew the man behind her would have no idea she was holding a gun. Would she be able to turn around in enough time to shoot? _What would Kate do?_ She shook her head, thinking, _Kate's braver than I am._

"Did they leave you out here all by yourself? Pretty stupid." The man said, as he seemed to be approaching her slowly. Violet jumped at the opportunity, acting impulsively.

She jumped up quickly, turning around, holding the gun up toward the man she didn't recognize.

Violet's whole body was shaking as the man had his gun raised as well. He didn't seem nervous at all.

"Put your gun down." Violet said shakily, wishing she could sound a little braver. The man laughed at her.

"Come on lovely, you aren't going to shoot me. You're just a kid. Still innocent. You know better. Or is this the kind of stuff that _they're_ trying to teach you over on that beach of yours. Maybe you really were better off with us." He said, never faltering, or lowering his gun at all. Violet trembled with fear, as he took a step closer.

"Stop!" She cried, nearly dropping the gun in fear. The man laughed again.

"Look, you can't even _hold_ that gun. Why don't you just give it to me?" He asked. Violet shook her head, tears flying from her eyes.

"Look kid, I don't want to shoot you. Those aren't my orders. I'm just supposed to grab you, and bring you back. Nobody's gonna hurt you, lovely, I _promise._ They're not gonna hurt your friends either. They're safe. Just put the gun down. Be the smart one, and _end_ this." The man took another couple of steps forward. Violet didn't have anywhere to go, but she didn't let go of the gun. Sayid and Kate had trusted her with this gun, told her to use it to protect herself if she had to. Why couldn't she shoot the man? _I don't have to kill him. Just shoot him in the knee or something. Enough to get away!_

She couldn't do it.

Before she knew it, she was ambushed! Two men jumped her on either side, and she went down hard, feeling her head collide hard with something as the gun fell from her hand. She reached for it, but the man who had been in front of her picked it up, dangling it in front of her face.

"Sorry lovely, had to do this." He said with a grin as the other two men pulled her up, each holding one of her arms tightly. Violet struggled hard, not wanting to be their prisoner again. The man turned to his goons.

"You remember where Ben wants her. Take her there, and cuff her. She'll be down later to deal with her." Violet was dragged away, as she pulled and kicked and screamed, but nothing worked.

She had failed.


	19. The Truth About Juliet

**Chapter Nineteen: The Truth About Juliet**

Kate paced back and forth in the room they had locked her in about half an hour ago or so. She was cuffed, and no matter how many times she tried tugging on the door's handle, it would not budge.

When the Others had barged into Jack's place, they had taken Kate and Sayid, and separated them, bringing them to two different locations. Kate had no idea where Sayid was now, or Locke, and worse, she had no idea if Violet was still safe in the bushes. She also wondered what they had done with Jack. Although, he had seemed fairly comfortable, playing the piano in the luxury of a suburban home. _But he was being watched. He had a camera in the house. _Kate didn't know what to think anymore. Now she was their prisoner once again, and she had no idea what they wanted with her, or what they were going to do to them. She could only hope that Locke would have figured out they had been captured, and he was out there somewhere with a plan to get them all out.

She breathed out slowly, trying to think of a plan, as she sat up on the pool table in the room. She had tried everything she could think of. She had even peered out the window to see if she had a clear view of the treeline. She thought maybe she could wave a message to Violet, get her to run. But the window was facing the opposite direction.

Suddenly, Kate heard the door to the room opening and she sat perfectly still, waiting to see who was going to come in. Probably one of the Others, ready to interrogate her again, to see if there was anybody else around. Kate promised herself, under no circumstances, would she give Violet's position away. Not after everything she had been through.

But it wasn't one of _them, _it was Jack.

Jack turned toward the door, and Tom, who was standing right outside, closed it behind them. Jack pulled up a chair and sat across from Kate. There was silence for a long time, as Kate stared at him, waiting for some kind of explanation. He didn't speak, so Kate broke the silence.

"Are you one of them now?" She asked, staring at the ground, not meeting his eyeline. She couldn't bear to think of this man, the man who had been their leader, joining the enemy.

"No, I'm not with them, Kate." He turned away for a moment, his face straining. "Dammit, I told you not to come back for me." Kate turned her head quickly, and stared at him angrily.

"What the hell did they do to you, Jack? Did you honestly think I was just going to go back to the beach and _forget_ about you? Dammit, whatever happened to live together, die alone?" She asked. Jack shook his head.

"You don't understand, Kate. You don't-"

"Then why don't you _make_ me understand?" Kate raised an eyebrow, and Jack finally looked at her, breathing out slowly.

"I made a deal with them." He said simply. Kate's eyes widened as her stomach did a flip.

"With _them?_"

"Yeah."

"What kind of a deal?"

"They're letting me go home." The words stung Kate hard, as she swallowed. She stared at him levelly, forcing her chin up, trying to hide her emotions.

"Home?"

"Back to LA." He could see the pain in Kate's eyes, so he tried to justify his answer. "Kate, it's the best way, the best _chance_ to bring back help for everyone."

"Why the hell would you trust them?" Kate asked, a tear finally leaving her eye. "You've been going on all this time about how we shouldn't trust them, you've been feeding this _lie_ to Violet about not trusting them, and now _you're_ trusting them!" She yelled out, feeling the anger rising inside of her.

"I have to, Kate. I have to get off this island." He paused, feeling the emotion from Kate, even though she was trying so hard to hide it. He had always noticed that about Kate. She didn't like to show what she was feeling, she always tried to be so strong, but Jack knew it was hard for Kate to hear this. But he had to continue. "I'm leaving tonight."

Kate swallowed, as she turned her face away, feeling tears stinging her eyes.

"I promise Kate, I'll come back for you, _all_ of you." He turned to the door. "They aren't going to hurt you. Any of you. I made them promise me. They won't hurt you, Sayid or Violet." Kate turned her head quickly to face Jack. Her eyes were wide.

"How did you know she was here?" She asked worriedly. Jack exhaled slowly.

"They found her in the bushes." He said simply. _Why the hell would she bring her anyway?_ He wondered to himself, but wouldn't wonder it out loud. Kate was upset enough as it was.

"I swear, if they hurt her again, like Ben did..."

"He won't."

"Oh right, you _trust_ them now." Kate's anger was bubbling as she stared at him. Jack finally stood and looked down at her, offering a small smile.

"I'll see you soon, Kate. I promise to come back for you." He and Kate stared at each other for quite some time, and then he walked away from her. Jack walked away from her.

As the door shut behind them, Kate felt betrayed, forgotten, alone. Jack, their once fearless leader, was gone.

* * *

An hour later, Violet wiped her tear-stained face on her sleeve, which proved difficult with the handcuffs that restricted her movement. Those men had taken her into one of the houses, and down into a room in the basement, where they cuffed her, and locked the door behind them when they left. At least they had left a light on for her.

Still, Violet was so angry at herself for allowing herself to get caught like that. _Again._ She thought to herself angrily. She wondered to herself where Kate was, where Sayid was, Locke and Jack. She knew they had been caught, the man had told her that her friends wouldn't be hurt. _Did they all get caught?_ The only hope she had was if at least one of them was still out there.

She doubted it.

Violet walked over to the door and tried forcing it open again, but it wouldn't work. Even when she threw her whole body against the door, it wouldn't budge. Angrily, she turned and walked over to the other end of the room, falling to the ground in a huff. She didn't want to think about Ben. He _knew_ she was here. Would he come down here? Would he hurt her? Would he _kill_ her?

_I should have stayed with Hurley._

Violet nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a key slide into the keyhole, and the door slowly opened. Violet turned her head away, refusing to look at whoever was coming in. She didn't know who it was, but she wouldn't answer any of their questions. Chances were good they would want to know who she came with, and how they got through the pylons. _Let them figure out for themselves!_ Violet thought bitterly.

"Hi Violet." A familiar voice greeted, which caused Violet to turn her head quickly. It was Juliet.

Violet didn't know what to think, what to feel in that moment. A couple of days ago, Juliet had brought Violet to the beach where she let Kate, Saywer and her leave the Others' island. A couple of days ago, Juliet had pulled her down when Danny had shot at her. A couple of days ago, Juliet had _killed_ Danny because of that. _A couple of days ago, she gave me that letter._

And now she was a prisoner again.

Violet turned away, never saying a word.

Juliet came into the room, and approached Violet carefully, squatting down to sit cross-legged across from Violet, who was already cross-legged, cuffed hands in her lap. Violet didn't look up.

"I didn't expect to see you again so soon." Juliet said quietly, offering Violet a small smile. Violet never looked at Juliet. The man who had caught her out in the woods had told his two goons that 'she'll be down later to deal with her.' Now Violet knew they must have meant Juliet. What was she asked to do?

"What happened to your forehead?" Juliet asked as she took Violet's head and moved it upward toward the light to see a bloody gash on her head. Violet didn't even realize she was bleeding, but she knew it was when those two guys who had jumped her when she dropped the gun. She remembered hitting her head.

Juliet turned around and grabbed a first aid kit that was on a table, and opened it up. Violet didn't move as Juliet poured some disinfectant on a cloth and moved toward Violet carefully.

"It's gonna sting." She said quietly, as she held Violet's head up and started dabbing at the wound gently. She was right, it _did_ sting, but Violet bit her lip, forcing herself not to show any sign of weakness.

"Violet, you're shaking. Are you alright?" Juliet asked, as her gaze shifted down to Violet's hands, which were clasped tightly in her lap. They _were_ shaking. Violet exhaled a shaky breath. Juliet smiled sympathetically.

"Hey. Nobody's going to hurt you. Not any of them, not Ben. I already made sure of that." She said quietly, as she put a bandaid on Violet's head. Violet finally looked up at her, and shook her head.

"Why would you do that?" She asked, never able to understand why Juliet had always done everything she could to keep Violet safe. Making sure Ben never found out she had tried to escape the one time, getting her to wake up that time she had passed out from the electricity, and saving her life when Pickett had tried to kill her. She even shot _him._

"I get the feeling you tagged along with Kate and Sayid, even though they probably asked you to stay at the beach." Juliet said, raising an eyebrow. Violet looked away, blushing slightly. Juliet knew more about her than she thought.

"Ben isn't going to hurt any of you. He promised me you'd all be safe." Juliet said reassuringly. Violet shook her head.

"Then what are you going to do with us?" She asked, her voice shaking. Juliet considered her for a moment before she spoke again with a sigh.

"I don't know, Violet. I don't know what's going to happen. I just know you won't be hurt. That should be enough for now." She paused. "Now, I'm going to ask you a few questions, Violet. When Kate and the others said they were going to look for Jack, did they ask you to stay at the beach?" Violet cleared her throat. She knew she shouldn't be answering her questions, she was one of them. _Is she?_ Violet never really knew.

"Yes." She said shortly.

"When did you start following them?"

"20 minutes later."

"How long did it take you to catch up to them?"

"An hour."

"So you were in the jungle, by yourself, for an hour?" Juliet raised an eyebrow disapprovingly.

"What do you care?" Violet snapped, glaring at Juliet fiercely. Juliet returned her glare levelly, and went on, ignoring the question. But the expression on her face had completely changed.

"How did you find them?" She asked. Violet sighed uncomfortably, shifting her hands.

"They cuffed me too tight."

"How did you find them, Violet."

"I tracked them!" She said impatiently.

"How did you learn about tracking?"

"Why did you give me that letter?" Juliet blinked, seemingly not expecting this question. Violet stared at her, never dropping her gaze. For once, she wanted to be in charge, she wanted to run the show, she wanted to ask the questions.

"Why did you go through all that secrecy just to give me that letter?" Violet asked quietly, tears in her eyes now. Tears made her feel vulnerable, but she had to know.

"Violet, this isn't exactly the right time." Juliet replied.

"When is?" Violet demanded. Juliet looked at her, and finally nodded after a moment's hesitation.

"Violet, we have everything on you. All your report cards, your birth certificate, your mom's death certificate, your sister's nursing credentials. It doesn't matter how we got all of it, but we got it. It was my job to look through all of it and know everything about you. To prepare me for when you came to us. We had been watching you for a long time, ever since the plane crashed. We knew you were angry at your father, and you blamed him for everything that had gone wrong in your life. You had good reason to. I thought I understood, until I saw your file.

"I learned everything about your father and why he wanted you to come to LA. It wasn't long after that we found out he took his life.

"When we got his letter, I stole it, and held on to it. Ben doesn't know. He thought it went missing, and he ignored it. I kept it, hoping one day I'd be able to give it to you." Juliet smiled a little. Violet looked at her, shaking her head.

"That doesn't answer my question. Why did you do it?" She asked, feeling a lump forming in her throat. Why would Juliet go through all that trouble to steal that letter, hide it from Ben, just to give it to Violet.

Juliet looked at her, and Violet saw something different in Juliet's eyes. For a moment, a brief moment, Violet could almost feel something she never thought she'd feel from one of the Others. It almost seemed like Juliet genuinely cared about Violet.

"I gave it to you so you would know the truth. It was one thing for me to tell you, but I wasn't completely convinced you trusted me. I gave you the letter so you'd have something to hold on to. You never met your father, all you had was a photo of him, but you ripped it up that day Kate stopped you from taking those pills." Violet's heart stopped, how had Juliet known about that? _We had been watching you for a long time, ever since the plane crashed._

"I wanted you to have that letter so you would always know he really did love you and your sister." Juliet said, her own eyes glistening. Violet looked up, tears forming in her own eyes. She forced herself not to cry.

"Violet, I'm leaving tonight." Juliet said suddenly, looking toward the open door. Violet looked up.

"What are you talking about?" She wanted to know.

"Ben's taking me off of this island." Juliet replied. Violet turned back to see that Tom was waiting at the door. He closed it, sensing Juliet wanted some privacy. Violet shook her head.

"Why? Why are you telling me this?" She asked.

"I'm telling you this, because I want you to know who I am." Juliet replied. Violet swallowed, as she waited.

"Violet, I've been on this island for over three years. Ben brought me here for six months, to work on some fertility research. I was only supposed to be here for six months, but he lied to me." She looked back toward the door. Violet got the impression Juliet wasn't supposed to be telling her this.

"There's more to this than I have time to get into, but the point is, I have a sister too. She's back in Miami, and when I left, she had cancer. She was dying, and she was pregnant when I left. Ben promised me that if I stayed longer, to continue the research, he would cure my sister's cancer.

"So I stayed, and Rachel's cancer went into a full remission and she had a son. My nephew. She named him Julian." Juliet's eyes were misty, but she blinked her tears away.

"He's finally letting me go home to her, tonight." Juliet paused, letting Violet take it in, and she continued. "Violet, he's letting Jack go home too."

"What?" Violet's head popped up.

"Ben's letting Jack go home too. Back to LA. He and Ben made a deal that if Jack did the surgery, he would let him go home. He's leaving tonight too." Juliet said.

Violet's stomach sank. He was leaving? He was just gonna...leave? While she and the others were captive? _How could he?_

"That can't be right. Jack would never-" She stopped herself, trying to make it all make sense in her head. Juliet nodded her head, understanding what Violet was saying.

"I'm sorry, Violet." She said quietly. Violet didn't say a word, she just stared at the floor, tears falling down her cheeks. Jack, their leader, how could he just leave? How could he just desert them all like that? He always did everything he could to help everyone, and now he was leaving it all behind. _After we came all this way to rescue him!_

"Everything's going to be alright." Juliet finally stood and walked toward the door. Violet turned to watch her go. Juliet turned and looked back at Violet, and offered her a small smile.

"Bye, Violet." Juliet turned and walked through the door, closing and locking it behind her.

Violet was free to cry on her own.


	20. Locke's Betrayal

**Chapter Twenty: Locke's Betrayal**

Kate still felt sore the next morning when she opened her eyes after a restless sleep on the pool table. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the sunlight, but her back was killing her.

Last night, after Jack had left her, Kate had thought of a plan she thought might work. The next person who tried to come into the room, she would attack with a pool stick and make a run for it.

That was when she had seen Juliet pass by the window.

Kate jumped up, grabbing the pool stick, and pressed her back up against the wall, watching carefully. If she could just get out, she'd be able to find Sayid and Violet. Locke must still be around somewhere, it was obvious he hadn't been caught yet.

The door unlocked and Juliet walked inside, carrying a plate with a sandwich on it. Kate wasted no time as she swung the pool stick as hard as she could toward Juliet's face.

In a matter of seconds, Juliet had grabbed hold of the stick, threw it down, and twisted Kate around roughly to land her hard on the concrete floor, knocking the wind right out of her.

Her plan had failed.

* * *

Now it was morning, and Kate tried to force herself up, but every muscle ached. Her back, her arms, her legs. She sighed to herself, thinking about Jack. If what he said last night was true, he was on his way off of this island at this very moment. She forced herself not to think about it. Right now, her task was to get out of here, and find Violet, wherever they were keeping her.

Whoever that Juliet woman was, she obviously had training in some type of martial arts. She had never seen anybody move that fast, that unexpectedly. Kate shook her head, stretching her arms up over her head to try and pull out the knots in her shoulders.

That was when the door opened again.

Kate sat perfectly still, not wanting to try her plan again, in case it was Juliet again. But it was a face she didn't think she would see here.

It was Locke.

The door shut behind him, and he and Kate were left alone. Kate stared at him surprisingly, and looked around.

"Did they catch you too?" She wanted to know, wondering why he wasn't cuffed or anything. Locke shrugged.

"I guess you could say that." He looked around. "But I guess you could also say my perspective's changed a bit." He seemed to be _smiling._ Kate puckered her brow.

"What the hell are you talking about John? Why are you here?" Kate had a feeling he wasn't there as a prisoner. It seemed as though he had come here by _choice._

"I came to say goodbye, Kate." He motioned toward the door. "I'm leaving, with the Others."

Kate stared at him with wide eyes.

"You do mean as a prisoner, don't you?" She had a feeling that wasn't the case.

"No. I chose to go with them." The words hit Kate like a ton of bricks.

"What?" She asked, not able to find any other words.

"They're leaving, and I chose to go with them. They have...well, let's just say they have what I've been looking for." Locke replied. Kate finally stood up and crossed the room to where he was standing, staring at him seriously.

"They brainwashed you too, haven't they?" Kate swallowed, thinking of Jack. "Don't believe them, John, these are the Others we're talking about. If they promised to take you home, you _can't_ possibly believe they'll just let you go."

"I don't _want_ to go home, Kate, that's what makes me so different from the rest of you." He sighed, looking at her with serene eyes. "I talked to them. I made a strong case for you, and for Violet and Sayid, but, well, they have files on all of us, and they know all about you. Let's just say that forgiveness isn't exactly one of their strong suits." Locke sighed, and only watched, unemotionally, as Kate shook her head, staring at him.

"What the hell are you doing, John?" She asked, feeling tears in her eyes. Her hope of getting out of here was leaving with John Locke. Sayid had been captured, so had Violet, and Jack was already on his way home. It was over. Whatever the Others wanted to do with her, or with Sayid and Violet, there was nothing she could do about it now.

"Goodbye, Kate. I wish you the best of luck." Locke offered a small smile, and left the building, and Kate could hear the door lock behind him, leaving her alone again.

She sat back down on the pool table, not understanding why Locke had had such a sudden change in attitude. Why would he want to go with the Others? What did they have to offer him if he didn't want to go home?

Worse, he said the Others were leaving. Were they _all_ leaving? What the hell were they planning to do with the three captives before they left?

The thought sickened Kate.

* * *

Violet pulled as hard as she could, but nothing gave. She cried out in pain as the handcuffs scraped against her wrists, the wrists that were still burnt from the electric chair, but she needed to get out of these handcuffs if she were going to escape.

She had gotten the cuffs around the post of a table in the room, and now, pulling with all her might, she let out a scream of pain, and stopped.

Violet pulled her hands close, seeing the blood trickling down her wrists, the skin easily broken from the burns she already had. Her arm was throbbing too. Using her muscles to pull irritated where the bullet had grazed her arm only days ago.

She leaned her head up against the table, and started to cry. Damn Jack for leaving them here to be held captive by the Others once again.

Violet stood up, wiping her tears on her sleeve as she walked around the room slowly. She had already figured out they had locked her in Juliet's basement, as she had already found boxes full of binders and textbooks on fertility research. She knew Juliet was a fertility doctor.

That was when she saw a lone file by itself on a shelf.

Violet had seen the file the Others had on her, the first day she had woken up in the Hydra, discovering she had been taken by them. It was thick, and the folder was a reddish brown color. Juliet had said she had been assigned the task of learning everything she could about Violet's life. If this was Juliet's basement, that folder on that shelf was her life.

She tried to reach up to it, but it was up on the top shelf, and she was just a little too short. Violet searched all around the basement, quickening her pace. She _had_ to get her hands on that folder. She needed to know the truth. She wanted to see the death certificate for her own eyes. Know _how_ he had killed himself. If the Others truly did have _everything_ on her, they would know the answers she was looking for.

Violet wobbled as she tried to steady herself on a stool she had found and she pulled the thick folder off the shelf. The stool underneath her gave, and down she went, crashing onto the floor, the file flying out of her hands.

She groaned in pain as she could feel a bruise forming on her back where she had landed, and she looked to see the scattered mess of papers strewn about the room.

"Damn."

Quickly, she crawled over to a stack of papers, and began leafing through them, but so far, she couldn't find anything she wanted to see.

Juliet had been right, they really _did_ have everything on her. All of her report cards from kindergarten up until the eighth grade, all of her medical records, including every medication she had ever been on, and reacted to, a list of all of Violet's friends and their contact information. Violet stared at all of it, shaking her head in amazement. She still couldn't fathom the fact they had this much information on her.

Dropping the papers, she moved on to another stack, still desperate to find her father's cause of death. She found his letters to Katie, and a copy of the suicide letter he had written, obviously photocopied, but so far, nothing on his cause of death.

Cursing, she moved on, and that was when she saw a document she had never seen before. At the top, it read _Thomison Harshaw's Funeral Parlor._ The first thing she saw in the document was the official death certificate. Tears filled her eyes, as she saw her father's name typed on the certificate.

Matthew James Donavan

Born: Februry 16, 1961

Died: October 30, 2004

Violet sighed, leafing through the document further, desperate to find the answers she was looking for.

But the door opened suddenly.

She jumped up, expecting one of _them_ would come in and take her away from the file, or the file away from her, but that's not what she saw.

She didn't know who the person was who stepped in, because he was wearing a gas mask. Violet's heart skipped a beat, as he threw a can into the room, slamming the door behind him.

The can started to smoke.

Gas began to fill the room, and Violet tried to grab something to cover her mouth and nose with, but there was nothing around. She could feel the fumes tickling the insides of her nostrils, as she lifted her shirt up to cover her face. Her heart was hammering wildly against her chest as she ran over to the door, trying to open it, budge it, but nothing worked. She was locked in.

"Hey! Somebody!" She screamed through her shirt. Nothing.

No windows, no escape. The fumes were seeping through her clothes and she could feel her throat closing up. She began to cough, and her head felt heavy, along with the rest of her body. She wasn't sure what was happening. Was she dying?

There was no time to think about it though, because blackness set in, and she fell to the ground, unconscious before she hit.

* * *

"_Goodnight my girl, sweet dreams." Violet's mother whispered as she bent over her 6-year-old daughter's bed to give her a kiss. Violet smiled, clinging to her stuffed polar bear tightly._

_"'Night mommy." The girl waited until her mother was at the door._

_"Hey mommy, wait." Ms. Deville turned and looked at her daughter._

_"What's up, my girl?" She asked. Violet sat up._

_"When's Katie comin' home again?" She wanted to know. Ms. Deville rolled her eyes with a laugh._

_"Honey, I told you, she'll be home from school in a few weeks. You have just _got_ to be patient." She said._

_"But I don't _want_ to be patient. She's been gone forever! I want her to stay home." Violet whined. _

_"I know baby, but Katie has to go to school so she can get her degree and have a very important job one day. You know how important nurses are, and how nice they are. Don't you think Katie would make a great nurse?" Ms. Deville asked._

_"I guess, but why can't she be a nurse, but not go away?"_

_"Well sweetie, Katie had to go away to school because that school offered her the best program. I know you don't understand, but one day, you will."_

_"Mommy?"_

_"Yes? What is it now, miss Q&A?" Ms. Deville tickled her daughter. Violet laughed out loud. Once she settled, she stared at her mother seriously._

_"Mama, why don't I have a daddy?" Violet could tell her mother didn't like talking about it, and for that she felt bad, but she wanted to know._

_"Violet, we've talked about this before. You have a father, he just doesn't live with us."_

_"I know, but why?"_

_"Well, that was his choice, baby."_

_"Why?"_

_"He left, Violet. That's it. He decided he didn't want to be with us, and he went away."_

_"Mommy?" _

_"Yes?"_

_"Are you ever gonna leave us?"_

_Ms. Deville stopped, and looked at her daughter seriously, and finally smiled._

_"I could never leave you, my girl. You and Katie are the most important people in my life."_

_"You promise, mama?"_

_"I promise. You have nothing to worry about." Ms. Deville leaned over and gave her daughter another kiss._

_"Now, can we try and get some sleep?" She asked. Violet nodded and turned over on her side. The lights went out, and her mother went down the hall. At six years old, you believe everything your parents tell you. Violet had no idea that night her mother had made her a promise she wouldn't be able to keep._


	21. Back to Othersville

**Chapter Twenty One: Back To Othersville**

Kate felt her head throbbing when she felt consciousness returning to her later. How much later, she didn't know, but she could still remember the fear she had felt that moment when the doors had opened to allow one of them to toss a smoking canister into the room. Whatever it was had knocked her out cold.

She squinted her eyes and saw that she was outside, and she was lying on her back in the middle of the jungle.

She tried to sit up, feeling her ears buzzing and her head spinning as she did, but she forced herself to stay strong as she tried to find her bearings. How far was she from the Others camp? Why had they brought her out here?

That wasn't the only question she had.

As Kate lifted up her left hand, she noticed she was restrained. She looked down, and saw she was handcuffed to somebody.

Juliet.

Kate's heart skipped a beat. Juliet was unconscious, but still, Kate looked around instinctively. Were they close? What was going on? Why the _hell_ was she handcuffed to one of the Others, and why was _she_ unconscious. _She couldn't have been hit with the gas too. Why would they gas one of their own?_

Nothing was making sense, and Kate's head was spinning enough as it was. Her thoughts went to Violet, though. Had she been gassed as well? Had they dragged _her_ out into the jungle? Was she close? Kate didn't know, but she was wondering the same about Sayid as well.

Juliet stirred suddenly and Kate was ready, in case Juliet decided to put up a fight or something. But Juliet just opened her eyes and looked around, seemingly just as confused as Kate was feeling. Juliet stopped when she saw Kate sitting up, staring at her inquisitively.

"Where are we?" Juliet asked wearily, as she managed to sit up.

"I was hoping you could tell me." Kate snapped, as she saw that Juliet noticed the handcuffs. Juliet looked up at Kate.

"I don't know. I was just in my house, minding my own business when one of them sent a gas canister into my house and I passed out." She replied, rubbing her temples, looking around nervously.

"You say 'them' like you didn't keep us locked up like animals. You say 'them' like you weren't involved in kidnapping Violet. So don't play games with me and pretend like you didn't know this was gonna happen." Kate yelled. Juliet stared at her with narrow eyebrows.

"Yeah, that's right, Kate, I just _let_ them gas me and send me out into the jungle with you, _handcuffed_ to you, I might add." She sighed, looking around. "If this is a plan of Ben's, I know nothing about it." Kate looked at her, and judging from the look on her face, Kate thought she was telling the truth.

"Okay, humor me. If it was their plan to gas you and leave us stranded out here, what's their motive for that? Why would they just leave you?" She wanted to know. Juliet sighed, holding her head in her hands.

"Ben was supposed to send me home, but after Locke blew up the submarine-"

"What?"

"The submarine that was supposed to take Jack and I off this island. Locke planted C4 explosives in the submarine. Our way off this island is gone." Juliet said, exhaling slowly. Kate thought about what that meant. That meant Jack was still here. Then she remembered what Locke had said when he was about to leave. He said he was going with the Others, and that meant the Others were leaving. Did they gas them and leave them out here so they could have a head start, without being followed? _If that's true, then Jack, Sayid and Violet are around somewhere. Maybe they're still at the Barracks._

"They left." Kate said suddenly.

"What?" Juliet asked.

"Locke went with them. He said the Others were leaving, and that he was going with them." Kate replied. Juliet suddenly looked interested.

"Leave? Why? Why would they leave? Where were they going?" She asked, almost desperately. Kate looked at her, sensing she really was clueless about the situation.

"Welcome to the wonderful world of not knowing what the hell is going on." Kate replied, with a bit of a smirk. But Juliet didn't laugh. She looked...nervous. Something wasn't right here.

"We're going back." Kate said finally. Juliet looked up.

"Back? Why the hell would we go back? They just gassed us and left us out here for dead. Why would you want to go back?" She asked.

"My friends are still there. Jack, Sayid and Violet. Your people are gone, face it, they left you. But they left my friends behind too, and I'm going back for them. Since you're handcuffed to me, I guess that means you're coming along." Kate stood up, and pulled Juliet up too. "Now, let's go."

* * *

_"We are here today to honor the life of a wonderful woman. A woman who was involved in this church, and involved in the lives of her two daughters, Katie Jay, and Violet Rose." The minister said in a loud, serene voice, in a sweltering hot church that Thursday morning. Violet sat quietly next to Katie in the first pew, still not understanding completely what was going on. She was, after all, only 8 years old. Katie had explained it to her, though, as best as she could. Mommy was dead, she went to Heaven to be with God, she fell asleep, but would never wake up. No matter how many different ways Katie had tried to explain it, Violet still couldn't grasp the fact that her mother was gone from her life forever. _

_Violet was barely aware of Katie's arm around the young girl, squeezing her tightly as tears ran down her own cheeks. Violet couldn't find the tears to express the pain she was feeling, because she was clouded by anger, confusion and frustration. There were faces all around her that she didn't recognize, and she couldn't help but wonder if any of them were her father. She had never met him, never seen his picture, but surely he would come to her mommy's funeral. Why wouldn't he? _

_"Annie Lee Deville was a devoted mother to her daughters, doing everything she could to make ends meet as a single mother. From the time the girls were little, Annie saved every last penny she could to pay for their college educations. Though little Violet is still waiting for her chance to shine, we all know that Katie has gone off to medical school and is already passing with honors, and we are all very proud of her for that. Annie was even prouder. She bragged about her girls to everybody who would hear her." Violet was barely hearing the minister anymore, all she could hear was the sobbing coming from her sister, Katie. Violet put her hand over her sister's, trying to give her comfort, but also to feel comforted with her sister's presence._

_After the funeral, so many people came up and gave her hugs and kisses, and told them, while they cried, how sorry they were. Violet never said a word, she only clung to Katie's hand, as though if she let go, she would lose her too._

* * *

A day had passed, and Kate finally recognized the trail leading up to the Barracks. Covered in mud, and sweat, Kate and Juliet were finally back. After a faceoff with the island's mysterious monster, and a faceoff with Juliet herself, Kate was feeling sore, bruised and exhausted. She just hoped, after everything she had been through over the last 24 hours, that Jack, Violet and Sayid were still here.

Kate unconsciously rubbed her wrist where the handcuff had been. Juliet had a key the whole time to the handcuffs. She told her some story about how if she had taken them off right away, Kate would have left her alone, and Juliet didn't want to be left alone again. Kate wasn't sure if she believed her, but she stayed with her anyway, unsure if she could find the Barracks by herself anyway.

"We're back." Juliet said suddenly, and Kate saw the houses lined up in the distance. The place was completely deserted, not like when they had first arrived at the Barracks days ago, where people walked up and down between the houses, gardening, talking to neighbours. It was true. Everyone was gone. _God, I hope they didn't take Violet with them._

"I'm going to find Jack." Kate said suddenly, knowing where they had been keeping Jack.

"I'll go get Violet." Juliet said suddenly, as she turned. Kate grabbed hold of Juliet's arm and swung her around.

"I don't think that's a good idea. I'll get Jack, and then I'll go find Violet." Kate said angrily. Juliet pulled her arm away, her face still serene.

"Look, I know where they put Violet, so I'll be able to find her quicker. I'll meet you back up here." She replied. Kate stared at her, unsure. She wanted to find Violet herself, make sure she was okay herself, but there was something that made her want to go for Jack first. Maybe guilt was a part of that. After all, if she had just listened to him and not gone back for him, Locke wouldn't have blown up the submarine, and Jack would probably be home by now. Juliet had been so kind to point that out on their little jungle journey.

"Fine, but if you hurt her-"

"I won't, Kate." Juliet turned and headed around the corner of a house. Kate sighed, and headed toward the house they had kept Jack in. She wasn't sure what she was going to find, but she hoped all three of them, Jack, Violet and Sayid, were all there, and all in one piece.

* * *

Juliet arrived at her house, and went in through the front door. Empty. Just what she had expected.

She went down the stairs, into her basement, and unlocked the door to the room they had been keeping Violet. Opening the door, she walked inside the room to find Violet still on the ground, out cold.

Juliet ran over, and fell to her knees next to Violet.

"Violet, hey, wake up." Juliet said quietly as she moved Violet's head and brushed the loose strands of hair out of her face. Juliet gave Violet a little shake.

"Violet." She said quickly, and Violet's eyes popped open, and she let out a little gasp, as she looked around nervously. Juliet waited while Violet's vision cleared and she looked up to see Juliet there.

"You okay?" Juliet said, as she pulled the handcuff keys out of her pocket and unlocked Violet's handcuffs. Violet took a deep breath.

"What happened?" She wanted to know, as she looked around cautiously, remembering Juliet's basement. Juliet sighed, helping Violet up into a sitting position.

"They left." She said, a little sadly. Violet stared at her, taking deep breaths.

"What do you mean they left?" She wondered. Her head was swimming and her breathing was laboured. She remembered the gas.

"The gassed everyone and they left. This place is deserted now." Juliet replied. Violet shook her head. So many questions were racing through her mind. Where did they go? Why didn't they take Juliet with them? Was Kate alright? What about Sayid and Locke?

"Why are you still here?" Violet swallowed. "I mean, I thought you and Jack, I thought you were going home."

Juliet's expression changed, and Violet could see the tears behind Juliet's cold eyes, and she knew something must have happened.

"Locke blew up the submarine. I don't know why, but he did it, and he went with them. Our only means of getting off this island is gone." She explained as calmly as she could. Violet swallowed hard. That meant Jack would still be here too. _How could John betray Jack like that?_ _How could he betray _all_ of us like that?_

Still, another means of getting off the island was gone, and that was good news, but she hardly thought about it.

Violet coughed loudly as she felt dizzy again. She swayed a little and Juliet caught her.

"Easy." She said, and Violet's eyes fell on the turned over stool that she had used earlier to grab her file.

But the file was gone.

Violet sighed. They probably took it with them.

"Let's go." Juliet said, and she helped Violet up off the floor. Standing up caused Violet even more dizziness, but Juliet kept a tight hold on her arm to steady her. It reminded Violet of all the times Juliet had led her through the Hydra as a prisoner, but this time, it was different. Juliet was no longer with the Others. Why they had left her here as well was a question she wanted to know, but she knew from Juliet's expression that she was every bit as surprised at being left behind as Violet was.

* * *

Kate was helping Jack out of the house they had kept him in, as he struggled to keep his balance. The gas was obviously still affecting him, as Kate remembered how dizzy she had felt when she first woke up from the gas. _There must have been more gas here, for him to just have woken up today._ She thought, as she led him out of the house.

There, Kate saw Juliet helping Violet around the corner, and Sayid right behind them. Sayid was watching Juliet like a hawk. Kate breathed a silent sigh of relief as she saw Violet coming forward. She looked tired, and as dizzy as Jack, but other than that, fine.

Jack pulled away from Kate, ready to walk on his own, and Kate took the opportunity to approach Violet.

"Hi." She said with a bit of a smile, as Juliet let go, walking over to Jack.

"Hey." Violet said, coughing a little.

"You alright?" Kate asked. Violet sighed.

"I think so." She paused, looking around. "What happened exactly?"

Kate told her all about Locke leaving, and the submarine blowing up, and how she had woken up with Juliet handcuffed to her out in the jungle.

"Why'd you come back here?" Violet asked. "I mean, what if we weren't here? How'd you know the Others didn't drag us out into the jungle too?"

"I don't know, but I figured it was a good place to start." She sighed. "Did she do anything?"

"Who?" Violet asked, clearing her throat.

"Juliet." Kate nodded toward Juliet, who was talking to Jack. "When she went to get you. Did she do anything to you?"

Violet knew what was happening. Kate still saw Juliet as one of the bad guys, one of the Others. Violet was having a difficult time seeing things the same way, now that the Others had left Juliet behind as well. Now that Violet knew about how Juliet had come to the island, and why she stayed. She shook her head.

"No, she just helped me." She replied steadily, feeling her throat begging for water. That was when Violet turned and saw Jack coming toward them. Violet thought she would feel happiness and joy when she was reuinited with Jack, especially after what he had done to let them escape from the Hydra, but when she saw him, she felt anger and betrayal. From what she had been told, he had every plan to leave the island, to go home to LA, and leave them with the Others, knowing full well what they had done, and what they were capable of doing. She couldn't feel relieved to see him.

"Hey." He said to Violet, pulling her head toward the sun to take a look at the cut on her forehead that was still raw. "You okay?" Violet nodded, squinting from the sun, not wanting to pull away, or react badly. Kate caught Violet's eye, and Violet looked away. Kate could tell something was going on, but she kept her mouth shut.

"What now, Jack?" Kate asked, as Jack let go of Violet. He sighed, took in his surroundings; Sayid, Juliet, Kate, Violet, and the emptiness around him.

He sighed.

"Well, I guess we, well, I guess we go back. Back to the beach." Jack didn't sound happy at all, and Violet knew why. His chance at getting off of this island had been ruined. Violet shook her head to herself, as she sighed.

As Jack headed toward the bushes, ready to become the leader again, and lead them back to the camp, Juliet began to follow him.

"She is not coming with us!" Sayid yelled suddenly. Violet swallowed. Juliet? Coming back to the _beach?_ _But she's one of them._ The voice inside her head said, but that didn't make sense anymore. Still, Violet wasn't sure how she felt about it.

"Yes, she is." Jack said strongly, staring at Sayid levelly. Sayid never flinched, but asked only one question.

"Why, Jack? She is one of _them._ Why would you risk this?" He asked. Jack paused, looking back at Kate and Violet, and then at Juliet. He turned and looked at Sayid again.

"Because they left her too." He said insistently. He and Sayid locked glances for several seconds, before Jack turned to Juliet with a nod, and the two of them headed toward the bushes.

Sayid hesitated before he followed after Jack, with Kate and Violet trailing behind. Violet felt sick to her stomach, and lightheaded. Juliet was coming with them, back to the beach. She looked up and noticed the anger and confusion written all over Kate's face. Nobody was happy about this new development, except maybe Jack. Violet wasn't sure. On the one hand, Juliet had been the one who shot a tranquilizer at her the night they took her, drugged her when she tried to escape, kept her from seeing Walt, and kept her in that room all the time she was with the Others. On the other hand, she had also kept her secret about trying to escape, saving her from Ben the first time. She had kept her away from Ben after he had strapped her to that chair, and she let her see Kate and Walt. Most importantly, Juliet gave her that letter, and more importantly, the truth about her father.

Violet wasn't sure what to think, what to feel. All she knew was things were never going to be the same again.


	22. Stopping for the Night

**Chapter Twenty Two: Stopping For The Night**

Violet wasn't sure if it was the lack of water from being passed out for a whole day, or if it was from the steady pace Sayid was keeping the group at on their way back from the beach, but Violet couldn't stop coughing. She noticed Juliet giving her sideways glances, but it was Kate who approached her.

"Are you alright Violet? You're coughing an awful lot." She said, passing Violet another bottle of water that was still in her bag. Violet nodded, as she took the water.

"Yeah, fine." She said, as she took a sip. She wasn't about to tell Kate that it had progressed further than just a cough. She thought her chest was feeling tighter too, but she figured she just needed to take a rest. _Maybe I caught a cold or something._ She thought as she took another sip of water. She thought she felt a little warm too. It was probably all in her head.

The sun was beginning to set in the sky, and darkness was beginning to replace the day. Violet began to yawn, which ended in coughing again, when Jack turned to face the group.

"We're gonna stop for the night. There's no use continuing on through the night. We're all tired, and we won't make it very far in the dark." He said, as he dropped his knapsack. He headed out to find some firewood, and Kate went to help him. Violet cleared her throat, as she lowered herself to the ground, to sit on a log. Sayid did the same, refusing to help with the firewood, as that would leave Violet alone with Juliet. It was obvious Sayid did not trust Juliet at all, just like Kate didn't. Violet wasn't sure why Jack did, but obviously there was something going on there, because he was the one who refused to leave her behind.

Violet finished another bottle of water, as she sat there, shivering. She _must_ have a fever, because it was hot and humid that night. No reason to be cold. And Juliet wouldn't stop looking over at her. Violet knew she was a doctor, a fertility doctor maybe, but still a doctor. Maybe she should tell her what was going on.

Then again, Jack was a doctor too, but Violet didn't even want to _look _at Jack, let alone talk to him about a possible cold and fever. _He's got his own problems to worry about._ She thought, remembering what Juliet had said about Locke ruining their chances of getting off the island.

Sighing, Violet felt herself growing weary, and tired. She hoped Kate and Jack would get back soon so they could start the fire and get some sleep. She stole a glance at Sayid, who was simply pacing back and forth, staring into the bushes, obviously looking for any sign of Jack and Kate. Violet didn't even notice someone was standing beside her until she spoke.

"You feeling alright?" Juliet asked, as she knelt down next to Violet. Violet turned quickly and met Juliet's gaze. Violet swallowed, as she felt a stabbing pain in her throat now. She cleared it, and felt a stab of dizziness.

"I'm -"

"Stay away from her." Sayid said suddenly, realizing what was going on. Both Violet and Juliet turned to look at him. Juliet stood to meet his glare levelly. Violet looked from Sayid to Juliet. Juliet wore an expression of complete calm and serenity. She was not afraid of him, but Violet was. She knew about his past as a torturer in Iraq, and though she knew he would never hurt any of _them,_ he wasn't so sure what he would do to Juliet if they were ever alone. After all, from what Hurley had told her, Sayid had tortured Ben when they had him in the hatch. But would he really torture a _woman?_

"Sayid, I was just-" Juliet started calmly.

"I want you to stay away from her." Sayid said, motioning toward Violet with a nod of his head. "I know what you people did to her, and I will not allow you near her, even if your people _did_ leave you behind."

"Leave her alone, Sayid." A voice said behind them. They all turned to see that Jack and Kate had returned from collecting firewood. Jack stepped forward, dropping a pile of wood, before approaching Sayid. "She's not going to hurt her, or anybody else. So leave her alone." Jack raised an eyebrow. Violet swallowed hard, feeling uncomfortable, caught in the middle. Juliet took one more look at Violet before she moved to the other side of the clearing, and took a seat on a log.

Sayid immediately went to start the fire, as Jack went to join Juliet. Violet tried to understand what they were saying to each other, but she couldn't hear them over the sound of crackling flames. Kate joined her soon afterward.

"What did she say to you?" She wanted to know. Violet snapped out of it, feeling that sense of dizziness again. _The first thing I'm doing when we get back to camp is finding Jack's bottle of Tylenol._

"Who?" Violet asked, coughing a little again, and shivering.

"Her." Kate motioned at Juliet. "Sayid said she was talking to you before he told her to stop. What did she say to you?"

Violet felt angry for some reason. She reasoned it was because she was still upset about being knocked out cold for a full day, not to mention the fact that she was feeling worse, and ready to collapse from exhaustion.

"You really don't trust her, do you?" Violet asked with a bit of attitude in her voice. Kate looked surprised as she raised an eyebrow.

"Do I need to remind you who she is?" Kate asked.

"She just asked me if I was feeling alright." Violet replied, as she began to cough again. Kate grabbed another bottle of water as Violet went to lay down, waving the bottle away.

"Violet, you're shivering. _Are _you feeling alright?" Kate asked. Violet nodded, as she closed her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm just tired." She replied as she curled up by the fire. Kate didn't say anything else, and Violet hardly remembered anything after that, because she was asleep within moments.


	23. Back to the Beach

**A/N: **It has been a long time since I wrote about Violet's capture by the Others, and forgot that, upon her arrival back at the beach camp, she would resume responsibility for Vincent, since Walt left the dog in her care when he left on the raft. I foolishly forgot about this minor detail and have not incorporated Vincent back into the storyline. For those of you who have not been following since my first fan fiction, you may not have noticed. Long story short, I have gone back and edited chapter 13, where Violet returns to the beach. To sum it up (in case you don't want to go back), when Violet returns to the beach the first time, Vincent is nowhere to be soon. Hurley tells her that after Violet was captured, Vincent took off into the jungle, and hasn't been seen since. That is where we are right now. Thanks, and apologies.

**Chapter Twenty Three: Back to the Beach**

When she awoke the next morning, everyone else was already awake, and Sayid was putting out the fire while Jack, Kate and Juliet were gathering their knapsacks. Violet yawned, and she began to cough again. Her chest felt like it was on fire, as she grabbed the bottle of water she had left beside her when she fell asleep the night before. She noticed Juliet look over when she had started to cough, but it was Kate who approached her.

"That cough doesn't sound so good. You feeling okay?" Kate asked. Violet nodded, as she cleared her throat. She really wasn't feeling good at all, but she didn't want to make it a big deal. _It's just a cold, after all._ _Maybe Jack has some cold medicine back at the camp._

"You ready to go?" Kate asked.

"Yeah, let's go." Violet replied, standing up. She immediately felt dizzy as she stood up, but she shook it off right away.

Sayid led the way, followed by Jack and Juliet, with Kate and Violet in the rear. There wasn't much to talk about, and most of the journey was walked in silence. Violet knew they weren't very far from the camp; she recognized some banana trees she had seen a few days earlier when she headed out to follow Kate, Locke and Sayid the first time. She felt grateful; her throat was killing her, her chest was sore, and she couldn't stop coughing. Her head felt fuzzy too. All she wanted to do was find her tent and collapse after taking something to help her.

Violet swallowed hard as she could hear Jack and Juliet's conversation in front of her. Kate had gone up to discuss something with Sayid.

"Nervous?" Jack asked. Juliet made a sound that sounded like a laugh.

"What do you think?" She asked. Jack smiled.

"I'm not really sure this is a great idea." Juliet said.

"Joining the camp?" Jack asked. Juliet gave a nod.

"They trust me, Juliet. They have to trust my judgment too, and part of that includes bringing you back." Jack replied. Violet sighed to herself. If everyone at the camp had the same attitude toward Juliet and the rest of the Others as Sayid and Kate did, Juliet didn't stand a chance.

Suddenly, dizziness hit Violet hard, and everything went dark for a split second, as she lost her balance, falling to her knees on the ground.

"Violet!" Jack turned and immediately ran toward Violet, followed by Juliet and Kate. Sayid stopped and waited.

"I'm fine, I just tripped on something." Violet lied, shrugging off Jack's arms trying to hoist her back up. Violet didn't like the way Juliet was staring at her. Like she _knew_ she was lying.

"Are you sure Violet? You're really pale." Jack noticed.

"Yeah, well, that happens when you're unconscious in a basement for 24 hours." Violet snapped, shooting a glare at Juliet, and then back at Jack. Jack looked at her in surprise, as he let go of her arm. Violet knew she should feel bad for snapping at him, or even at Juliet, but she felt so sick, and angry at what she thought was Jack's betrayal.

"Alright, well, just take it easy, and be careful, alright?" He asked. Violet didn't say anything as she stepped forward to follow Sayid. Jack sighed, and looked over at Kate.

"What's up with her?" He asked, as he continued onward. Kate shrugged.

"I don't know." She replied, "I think she's catching a cold or something. That cough of hers is horrible."

"Well, I've got some cough medicine back at the camp, that should help the cough. I'll check if she has a fever, and if she does, I'll give her some Tylenol too. She probably just needs lots of rest." Jack said, continuing onward, with Juliet right by his side. Kate sighed, with a roll of her eyes. Bringing Juliet back to the camp was a bad idea. She didn't trust her. She knew that Jack trusted her for some reason, and the way Violet was talking, it seemed like she did too. _How could they trust one of them?_ She wondered to herself.

Besides, Kate didn't like the way Juliet kept looking up at Violet. Why did she care how Violet was? Kate pushed the thought to the back of her mind. She caught up with Violet, and glanced at her sideways. She looked so pale. Kate wanted nothing more than to get her back to the camp, and resting. Even if it was just a cold, Violet needed to get some rest. They _all_ did.

* * *

Violet felt ready to collapse half an hour later. Her cough seemed like it was gone now, but her head wouldn't stop spinning. She felt so grateful when she finally heard a baby crying. She knew right away it was Aaron.

They were home.

As they passed by the familiar bush, Violet immediately felt the similarity of the situation when she saw the whole camp come running to greet them. Only this time, they were shocked and excited to see Jack.

The rest of them were still greeted with open arms. Sawyer approached Kate carefully and she hesitantly wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing herself to be hugged by him. Jack was met by Sun and Claire first, and Violet felt an immediate lump in her throat when the first person to approach her, was Hurley.

She swallowed hard as she looked up at him.

"I'm sorry, Hurley." Was all she could say. She knew he'd know what she was talking about.

He only looked at her for a few minutes before he finally gave a casual shrug.

"Whatever dude, just next time they go trekking through the jungle, and they ask me to watch out for you, I'm outta here." He said with a bit of a smile. Violet smiled and gave Hurley a big hug.

"Thanks Hurley." She said. Hurley gave a nod, as Charlie approached her to say hello, but before he even had a chance, Sawyer's angry voice rang through the air.

"What the hell is she doing here?" He asked, and everyone followed his glare.

There was Juliet, standing alone several feet away from where the reunion was taking place. Most people looked at her, confused. Nobody knew who she was, except for Sawyer. But questions began circulating through the camp. Even Charlie nudged Violet in the ribs, which hurt her more than it should have.

"Sorry dear, hey, who is she anyway?" He asked. Violet swallowed.

"Her name's Juliet." She replied, as she could see the rest of the camp getting riled up quite quickly. Violet knew the word was spreading that Juliet was one of the Others. Charlie tried to question Violet some more, but before he had a chance, Violet snuck away, making a beeline for her tent. She wanted to change out of her clothes for one thing, but mostly, she didn't want to find out how the camp reacted when they all realized they had one of the Others at their camp, no matter _what_ the circumstances. Remembering how Charlie's hatred toward what the Others had done to him and Claire had driven him to shoot 6 bullets into Ethan's chest, she didn't want to _know_ what they would do with Juliet.

Violet changed out of her sweaty clothes and ran a brush through her hair, already feeling a bit better. Her head was still swimming, and her throat still raw. She ignored it, though, as she walked down to the water, kicking her sandals off, and going to wade in the water. She breathed out slowly, glad to feel the water around her feet, thinking of her mom, of Katie, of Walt.

She turned her head around and scanned the beach quickly. Still no sign of Vincent. She sighed, as she was beginning to lose all hope that Walt's dog was still alive. _He loved that dog. How would he feel if I told him I lost him?_ But then, was it really her fault? She had been drugged and dragged out into the jungle. She really couldn't have done anything to stop Vincent. _But I haven't been looking for him either. _But then she thought about what Hurley said. _"And hey, now that you're back, Vincent might come back too."_

Violet reached down and scooped some water into her hand, bringing it up and letting it fall down her neck and back. It felt so good, but it did nothing for the dizziness she was feeling, and she was sure it was getting worse.

"Violet." She looked up to see Jack approaching her. She didn't move as she just watched him from the water. He pulled out a bottle from his pocket.

"Kate told me she thinks you're getting a cold." He said. Violet shrugged.

"Maybe." She said, never meeting his eyes. Jack shook out a pill from the bottle, and handed it to Violet.

"Here, it's Tylenol Cold. It should help your cough, and it'll get rid of any fever, if you have any." He handed her a bottle of water. Violet took the pill, and chased it with a large gulp of water. She wiped her mouth and handed the bottle back to Jack.

"Thanks." She said, as she turned back to face the ocean. She didn't even notice that Jack walked away, but she was glad. She felt so angry at him, and that made her feel bad. _But he was just gonna leave us here. How could he do that?_

It wasn't long before she was joined by Claire, who had removed her sandals as well.

"Hey." Claire said. Violet offered a smile.

"Hi." She replied. Claire was silent for a moment.

"Did you miss it?" She asked. Violet puckered her brow.

"Miss what?" She wanted to know.

"The ocean."

"Oh. Yeah, I guess I did." Violet looked down the beach to see Juliet sitting on the sand, away from everyone in the camp, staring at the ocean, alone. Violet sighed.

"What's her deal, anyway? Why would he even _think_ about bringing back one of them?" Claire asked, seeing that Violet had spotted Juliet. Violet only shrugged. She wasn't really sure what she thought at the moment.

"Kate told me she was the one who...you know...drugged you the night you were taken." Claire said. Violet shook her head.

"She's not-" She stopped. She's not what? One of them? Violet sighed.

"She's not dangerous." Violet concluded, truly believing this was true. Juliet had never done anything to hurt her, or put her in danger. She trusted that Juliet really had been left behind, and was now alone.

"How do you know that?" Claire asked. Violet shrugged, not really sure how to answer that. Nobody at the camp would understand her story about her father, and the truth she learned from Juliet about him.

Her father.

Juliet was sitting right there, all alone, and she had the answers. Juliet had said herself she had been the one responsible for learning everything about Violet from her file. Violet had wanted to know for days now how her father killed himself. She didn't know why she cared to know, but she was still obsessing about it.

"I'll see you later, Claire." Violet said, collecting her sandals and carrying them by hand down the beach. She knew people would wonder why she was approaching Juliet, one of _them_, especially after everything Violet had been put through. _They just don't understand._

Violet did a quick scan of the beach, and didn't see Kate. She was glad. She knew if Kate saw her talking to Juliet, they would probably have another blowout. Violet didn't want that. She just wanted answers.

"Hi." Violet greeted quietly, feeling her heart beating wildly against her chest. Why, she wasn't sure. She guessed it was because it wasn't as though she had ever engaged Juliet in casual conversation before. Juliet turned and looked up, acknowledging Violet standing there.

"Hey." Juliet said with a small smile. "Are you feeling any better?" Violet sighed.

"Look, I-" She wasn't exactly sure how she was going to ask, especially without making her sound sick and twisted. _Who really wants to know these things anyway?_ She wondered to herself.

"You said you knew everything about me." Violet said. Juliet looked at her.

"A fair bit." She replied.

"I need to know something."

"About your father?" Violet's stomach dropped. How could she have known? Juliet seemed to sense her question.

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out he's been on your mind." She said. "What would you like to know?" Violet sighed.

"I-"

"What the hell are you doing?" Sawyer's voice made Violet jump as he ran forward and grabbed a tight hold of her arm.

"I was just-"

"Damn it, Freebird, are you really that stupid?" Sawyer asked, as he shot a glare at Juliet, who only watched, as emotionless as she could. Before Violet could say a word, Sawyer gave her a push toward the camp.

"Now git back up there. The doc says you're supposed to be resting anyways." He said with his usual tone. Violet stared at him defiantly. Who the hell was _he_ to tell her what to do? He knew nothing about the situation. Still, knowing better than to argue, she looked at Juliet once before she finally turned and headed back up to the beach. She turned around to see Sawyer say something to Juliet. She didn't hear what it was, but judging by the way Juliet looked up at him with raised eyebrows, it wasn't pretty.

* * *


	24. Moral Dilemna's

**Chapter Twenty Four: Moral Dilemma's**

The medicine Jack had given her wasn't working. In fact, Violet was feeling worse with every hour that passed.

Her cough was worse than anything she had ever felt before, while her head was throbbing and spinning. Her breathing was so laboured and she couldn't take deep breaths without feeling dizzy and coughing so hard, sharp pains in her chest would occur. Her whole body felt hot, but she found that she was shivering. None of this was making sense. This wasn't a cold, it couldn't be. She'd never had a cold this bad.

Still, she ignored it as best she could. She had things to think about. Even from within her tent, she could hear the people talking about their newest addition.

"What was he thinking? I don't care _who_ left her behind, she worked for them."

"But Jack's our leader. We should trust his judgment."

"What if he's been compromised?"

"Working for them now?"

"That's insane."

"He's been with them for a long time. How do we know what they're capable of doing?"

"Do you think she's dangerous?"

"Are they working together?"

"Could that make _Jack_ dangerous too?"

Violet sighed, rubbing her temples. Jack? Compromised by the Others? As mad at him as she was for making that stupid deal with them, she couldn't believe he was working for them. That was insane.

Kate had come in a couple of times to check on her, but Violet lied and said she was fine each time. Truth be told, she didn't want to burden anyone with her being sick, not right now. Kate was usually considered second in command on the island, next to Jack, her and Sayid both, and they were the ones answering a lot of the camp's questions. They were busy enough as it was, and Violet didn't want to talk to Jack either. She was convinced she just needed some sleep, some rest, after everything that had gone on in the last few days. Her body was probably just desperate for some real sleep.

That was what she told herself. Whether or not she believed it was another story. _God, I just wish I had Katie. She'd know what was wrong._

* * *

Later that night, after the sun had set and the fire was blazing, Kate walked down the beach toward the makeshift kitchen that had been set up with the supplies from the hatch. She looked toward the tent she shared with Violet, and wondered how she was doing. _God, she looked pale._ She thought, as she considered peeking in again, but that was when she saw a bunch of people crowding around the beach, with Jack in the middle. Violet would have to wait. What was going on?

She found herself in the middle of a heated discussion.

"...should be enough." Jack said quite strongly.

"Whether you trust her or not is irrelevent. It is not enough for us. I'm sorry Jack, but I do _not _trust her. You've spent a lot of time with the Others. They may have compromised you into believing she could be trusted." Sayid added. Jack sighed angrily.

"You think I've been compromised? Sayid, my time with them was not spent being brainwashed, if that's what you think. I was promised a way off of this island. Locke ruined that chance for me, and for Juliet as well. For _all_ of us. I was going to send help back." He said.

"How do you know it wasn't their plan to get you on a submarine alone with her? What if she was planning to take you somewhere else?" Bernard said quietly.

"Look, she was promised to be sent home too, okay?" Jack pointed out.

"So she says. Who's to say _she's _telling the truth?" Charlie asked. Kate sighed, finding Juliet in the corner of her eye. She was down the beach further, just watching. She was just out of earshot, but it wouldn't have taken a genius to figure out she was obviously the topic of conversation.

The argument continued, and Kate kept her mouth shut. She didn't want Jack to think she didn't believe him, but she definitely didn't trust Juliet, and the fact that Jack did bothered her. She found Sawyer beside her, and she knew he was picking up on this too. He offered her a sympathetic glance. Kate was grateful for his support, but she lost his eye contact as he looked past her suddenly and puckered his brow.

"Whoa, Freebird, you look like death warmed over, you alright?" He said. Kate turned to see Violet approaching, with a blanket wrapped around her. Kate's heart skipped a beat. She looked much worse than the last time she looked in on her. As white as a ghost, Violet could barely walk, and the sweat was visible on her forehead. _But she's cold. Why else would she have a blanket?_ Kate ran forward, and pressed her hand to Violet's head.

"God, you're burning up. I thought you said you were feeling better!" She snapped, as she looked around for Jack. But he was further down now, talking to Claire and Charlie. Violet shook her head.

"I'm fine, Kate." She said in a raspy voice, and then she began to cough again. But it didn't sound like coughing anymore, it sounded like she was choking, gasping for breath.

"Come on Violet, we have to find Jack, you're not well." Kate took a hold of Violet's arm to pull her forward, but Violet pulled back with what little strength she had.

"Don't Kate, I'm-" Violet closed her eyes suddenly and swayed on the spot. Kate stopped.

"What's wrong?" She asked worriedly. As Violet looked up with glazed eyes, Kate saw that the girl's nose was bleeding. Violet brought her hand to her nose and she began to lose her balance.

"Violet." Kate grabbed a hold of her as she went down. "Jack, I need some help over here!" She called out. Causing a panic in the camp, everyone came running to see what had happened. Sawyer ran over and collected the unconscious Violet in his arms and yelled at everyone to get back and let the doc through.

Jack came running forward and he saw Violet in Sawyer's arms, out cold.

"Get her to my tent." He said, as Sawyer led the way. "What happened?"

"I don't know. All day she said she's been feeling better. She's really hot, and now she just passed out. Jack, I'm not a doctor, but I don't think this is a cold. You should have heard her coughing. It was more like she was choking. And her nose started bleeding right before she passed out." Kate said in one breath, as she ran to keep up with Sawyer and Jack. Everyone else from the camp stayed back, but still watched from a safe distance.

"What happened?" Claire asked as she reached for Charlie's hand.

"I dunno. Kate told me she's been sick all day." He replied.

"But to pass out like that?" Claire asked. Charlie had no answer.

Jin was asking Sun what had happened in his native Korean, and he shot a glare over his wife's shoulder as the outsider had joined them. Juliet was standing next to Sun.

"What happened?" Juliet asked, looking up to where Jack was checking on Violet. Jin said something in Korean, and Sun turned to Juliet.

"He said, 'what do you care?"

* * *

"Damn it, why isn't she waking up doc?" Sawyer asked. Jack exhaled heavily as he lifted Violet's eyelids and checked her pulse. He shook his head.

"I don't know, but she's really burning up. Her fever is worse than it was when we first came to the island. Her breathing is really laboured too." He said. Kate stared at him seriously.

"This isn't a cold, is it Jack? It's serious." She said. She felt her stomach drop when he nodded.

"I just don't know what it is." He seemed stressed out, which worried Kate more than anything else that had ever happened. If Jack didn't know what was wrong, who would?

Kate followed Sawyer's gaze to see Juliet standing over by a tree, away from the rest of the camp. Kate swallowed hard; it looked as though Juliet was _beckoning _her.

"What the hell would she want with you _now_ Freckles?" Sawyer asked. Kate didn't know, but she had a feeling it was important. _It damn well better be._

Kate stood and quietly walked over to where Juliet was standing, looking back over her shoulder, not wanting to leave Violet's side.

"What do you want? This isn't a good time." Kate said. Juliet exhaled quickly.

"I need you to get Jack for me. I'd get him myself but if I go over there right now, they're all gonna think I mean to harm Violet." She explained.

"Don't pretend like you give a damn about her." Kate snapped. "Jack's busy." As Kate turned to leave, Juliet caught her arm.

"Please Kate. I know what's wrong with Violet." Kate turned and stared at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What?"

"I know why Violet's sick, and I know how to fix it. But you need to get Jack, right now." Juliet said with an obvious sense of urgency. That made Kate nervous. How the hell Juliet knew why Violet was sick was strange enough as it was, but for her to sound, what, scared?

Kate turned back to get Jack.

* * *

The rest of the camp population watched from a distance, as Kate and Jack approached Juliet in the shadows. Unsure if alliances were being formed, or if anybody could be trusted anymore, they turned away.

"Jack, I know what's wrong with Violet." Juliet said quickly, looking over his shoulder quickly to see Sawyer standing watch over the unconscious girl. Jack spread his arms.

"How, Juliet? How could you know what's wrong with her when _I_ don't know. You haven't even been near her." He said. Juliet sighed.

"Because, Jack, I've seen these symptoms before. Jack, I've been worried this would happen since we left the Barracks. When she woke up coughing like that, I've been, well, concerned." She replied.

"If you were so concerned, why didn't you say something sooner?" Kate snapped. Juliet sighed.

"There wasn't exactly a good moment to approach you, with your camp's moral police watching my every move." She replied. Jack put his hand up.

"Tell me, Juliet. What's wrong with Violet?" He said calmly. Kate looked at him, a bit surprised. How could he not be angry?

"She's having a latent reaction to the knockout gas used on us all. Look, the drug used in the gas is a really strong anesthetic, and Violet's reacting to it. Violet's immune system is sensitive to any foreign agent. I know this, because I've studied her medical records." She waited while Kate and Jack exchanged glances. Kate was feeling more and more angry with these people. Using a powerful enough drug in their gas to render someone unconscious for that long was bad enough, but having Violet's medical records memorized was beyond weird. Who _were_ these people?

"Her medical records show a history of reactions to different antibiotics, and I've seen her react to different drugs, and-"

"What the hell kind of drugs did you give her?" Kate jumped in, but before Juliet had a chance to answer, Jack raised a hand.

"How is this affecting her? This gas?" Jack asked, directing his question toward Juliet. With a final look at Kate, Juliet continued.

"The gas has gone into Violet's respiratory system, and it's not leaving. That's why she's not breathing properly, and that's why she's coughing so much." Juliet sighed. "Look, Jack, this has happened before. I can't tell you the details, but we've treated this before. I have a serum that can fix this. I've got a kit buried out near one of the Dharma's hatches, a medical station. Jack, I can fix this, but I need to get that kit." She said. Kate stared at her with a raised eyebrow, but Jack kept asking questions.

"What happens if she doesn't get the serum?" He asked. Juliet stopped, looking from Jack to Kate. Kate wasn't sure, but it almost seemed as though Juliet was showing some kind of emotion. What, concern? No, it couldn't be.

"If she doesn't get that medication into her within the next 8 hours, the gas will block up her respiratory system, settle on her lungs, and she'll stop breathing altogether." Juliet paused. "If Violet doesn't get that serum, she will die."

Kate's stomach dropped and Jack's whole demeaner changed. Was Juliet telling the truth? Or was this another one of their lies? Still, Kate found herself feeling nervous. She knew Violet was sick, but die? She turned to face Jack, who was looking at her with raised eyebrows, as though asking for her opinion. Kate stared at him uncertainly.

"Jack, I can fix this. I just need to get to the kit in the jungle. If I go now, I can be back before it's too late." Juliet said with a sense of urgency. Kate shook her head to herself. There had to be another way, she didn't trust anything about the Others.

"Do it." Jack said. Kate stared at him surprisingly. Even Juliet looked surprised.

"Be quick." Jack said, and without another word, Juliet turned and ran from the camp. Kate turned to Jack for an explanation.

"You're serious? Damn it Jack, you want to trust _her_ to stick a needle in Violet, _claiming_ it will save her life?" She hissed, not wanting to cause an uproar in the camp. Jack stared at her coldly.

"If you have a better idea, Kate, I'd like to hear it." He said, and turned to go back to where Violet was still out cold. Kate followed after him, her heart hammering against her chest. She had a bad feeling about this. But what else was there that could be done?


	25. Truth and Lies

**Chapter Twenty Five: Truth and Lies**

Kate watched as Violet struggled in and out of consciousness. Kate tried to get Violet to drink something, but Violet would black out again before she had a chance. In the moments Violet did wake up, she only muttered incomprensibly, and Kate tried to talk to her, but Violet was oblivious.

"Her fever has gone up. It's dangerously high." Jack said after he had taken Violet's temperature for the fourth time since Juliet had gone off. Kate sighed nervously as she stared at the young girl who's face was as white as a sheet, her breathing was laboured and her body was trembling. Kate shook her head.

"They did this to her, Jack. The Others. How could you trust _her,_ one of _them_, to help her?" She asked, motioning toward Violet. Jack took a look at Violet, and then turned to Kate.

"I trust her, Kate. I'm not asking you to understand, but I need you to trust me. Do you trust me, Kate?" He asked.

Kate swallowed the lump in her throat. Of course she trusted Jack. After all they had been through together, she had never once doubted his motives or reasonings for any decision he had made on behalf of the cxamp. There was just this one thing that she couldn't understand, no matter how much she trusted Jack.

She didn't really answer him with words, but she managed a small nod of the head.

She turned her attention back to Violet, who's cheeks seemed to have lost more colour, if that was possible. Kate sighed, feeling fear.

"Come on, Violet. Stay strong honey, help is on the way." Kate looked toward the jungle. _Damn it, Juliet, where the hell are you?_

* * *

_"Violet, just take it easy sweetheart, you have to take deep breaths!" Katie said calmly as Violet struggled to steady her breathing. The atmosphere of the emergency room made it harder for her to concentrate on breathing. She was scared._

_"Katie, I-"_

_"Violet, shut up, and just breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth." Katie shot up and moved over to the nurse's desk._

_"Damn it, June, we've been waiting for an hour! Victor hasn't even _acknowledged _we're here!" The receptionist rolled her eyes._

_"Look, Katie, just because you work in this hospital, doesn't mean you, or your little sister get special treatment over the rest of these patients. Dr. Cunnfew will see her soon. Get a coffee or something."_

_Katie stared down the receptionist, but finally sat back down with her 12-year-old sister._

_"Here, Vi, have some water." She handed her a half finished bottle of water. Violet sipped it before erupting into another coughing fit. Violet could feel Katie's hand rubbing her back._

_Finally, Violet caught her breath. _

_"What do you think's wrong with me, Kay?" She asked quietly. Katie rolled her eyes with a smirk._

_"Why do you always want to know about medical stuff?" She asked. Violet shrugged with a small smile._

_"Well," Katie rolled her eyes. "I think you had an allergic reaction to the puffer Dr. Billings prescribed you for your chest infection. That means Victor, Dr. Cunnfer, will probably give you something tonight to get you breathing properly, and then he'll prescribe you something different for the chest infection, and we'll see if you can handle that medication." Katie said, sounding somewhat annoyed. Violet sighed._

_"Damn it, why do I have to have allergic reactions to everything I take?" She spat._

_"Don't use language like that, young lady. Honestly, I don't know where you pick up language like that." Katie hissed. Violet smiled to herself. When angry, Katie swore like a sailor._

* * *

The sun rose over the ocean and Kate paced back and forth by where Violet still lay, now fully unconscious. It had been 7 hours since Violet collapsed, 6 since Juliet had been gone. Jack had gone to the tree line to see if he could see her, but he hadn't returned yet.

Violet's breathing wasn't as laboured, but it was spaced out, and weak. _If Juliet was right, that gas could be settling in Violet's lungs._ Kate swallowed hard, and grabbed a hold of the girls' hand.

"Just hang on, okay sweetie, just a little bit longer." She said, forcing herself not to cry. Only a few days ago, she had seen Danny Picket shoot a bullet at Violet, who had gone down. Kate had thought she had lost her at that moment, and now, once again, Kate was unsure if Violet was going to be okay.

Finally, Kate looked up and saw Jack running toward the tent, and behind him was Juliet, carrying a case of some sort. Kate's heart skipped a beat. There were so many questions running through her mind. What if this serum didn't work? What if this was another sick plan of the Others, and it would make Violet worse? There was no time to consider any of this though. She could only hope that Jack could be trusted on this matter.

Juliet went straight to work, opening the case and pulling out a large syringe. Kate's stomach was in knots. Jack was feeling Violet's forehead, and then checking her pulse. He shook his head. This was bad.

"How quickly does this stuff work, Juliet?" Jack asked as Juliet filled the syringe with a pasty yellow fluid.

"We should start to see a difference in about an hour." Juliet lifted Violet's shirt up and made a movement to inject the needle. Jack grabbed her hand to stop her. She looked up at him curiously.

"Look, Juliet, if this injection doesn't work, if it makes her symptoms worse in any way....if anything happens to Violet, I'm not going to be able to protect you. From the camp...I won't be able to help you." Jack said as he looked up to see Kate's worried eyes staring at him. Juliet managed a smile at Jack.

"I understand, Jack. I'm not going to do anything to hurt Violet." She directed this last comment toward Kate, who stared at her uncertainly. She only waited, and turned her head away as Juliet carefully injected the serum into Violet's stomach.

* * *

A couple of hours passed. The last time Jack had taken her temperature, it had gone back down to normal. Her breathing wasn't as harsh either. Kate could even swear she saw some colour coming back to Violet's cheeks. It seemed as though Juliet's medicine had worked, but Kate couldn't be sure until Violet woke up and said for herself if she really was feeling better.

It wasn't very long after Jack had checked on her that Violet began to stir a little. Jack was already gone. It was just Kate.

"Violet?" She asked as Violet slowly, but surely opened her eyes. She looked up at Kate groggily and then forced herself to sit up. Kate stared at her in amazement. She looked as good as new. Kate noticed no halts or struggles in the way Violet was breathing.

"Hey." Kate greeted with a smile, feeling a huge jolt of relief. Violet smiled back.

"Hey." She looked around, realizing where she was. "Um, why am I in Jack's tent? What happened?"

Kate stared at the girl who wanted answers, and contemplated what she should say. She hated the thought of lying to Violet, but she didn't want to tell her the truth either. It was bad enough Jack trusted Juliet, but the way Violet talked about her, it seemed as though she were starting to as well. Kate didn't like that. Juliet was one of the Others, and she couldn't tell Violet that she had just saved her life. That would make things a little strange.

"You must have been exhausted from the trip back yesterday. Do you remember you weren't feeling very well? Well, you fainted last night. Probably just heat exhaustion, but you slept straight through the night. We brought you here just so Jack could keep an eye on you. How do you feel now?" Kate asked, pressing her hand against Violet's forehead. Violet stared at Kate, sensing she wasn't being told the whole story.

"Fine. I feel fine." Violet replied, as she stared out in the distance. "What's going on over there?" Kate turned to see where Violet was looking. There she saw Jack approaching Juliet by the beach. He was holding a tarp and some blankets, and he handed them over to Juliet. Kate sighed. It didn't look like Juliet would be leaving them anytime soon.

* * *

"What's all this?" Juliet asked as she accepted Jack's gift.

"It's for you to set up a tent. I talked to some of the people, and...they're willing to give you a chance. You just saved Violet's life. They don't take that lightly around here." Jack sat down to join her in the sand. "But Juliet, they're asking a lot of questions, and pretty soon, they're going to want some answers." He said. Juliet looked at him with sad eyes and shook her head.

"Why not with you, Jack? Why don't I have to explain myself to you?" She asked quietly. Jack turned and looked at her, contemplating his answer before he gave it.

"That night we were going to leave this island once and for all, and Locke blew up the submarine. I saw it in your eyes exactly what I felt." He paused and stared at her seriously. "You want to get off of this island more than anything else. And, well, I guess that makes you one of us."

Juliet smiled, and Jack sat with her while they continued to talk.

* * *

Juliet set straight to work setting up her tent with the supplies Jack had given her. She knew she wouldn't be at the camp very long, but she was surprised she had been accepted so quickly. She had had her doubts, but Ben had been right about this one.

As she set up the tent, she turned to see Kate handing Violet a bottle of water. Violet took it with a smile. Juliet smiled to herself. The serum had worked. Of course, she knew it would. That had all been part of the plan...

* * *

_"Let's go over it one more time." Ben had said under the dim lights of his kitchen. Juliet sighed. God, she hated when he yanked her around like this._

_"We've been over it a hundred times, Ben." Juliet pointed out._

_"Once more. Just to be sure." Ben prodded. Juliet sighed, as she clasped her hands together, always maintaining a calm front._

_"Once the gas has been released on Shepherd, Austen, Jarrah and Deville, I drag Austen into the jungle and handcuff myself to her. I play dumb, as though I have no idea what happened. It'll look like I've been gassed too and left behind by you." Juliet explained. Ben nodded._

_"Then what?" He asked._

_"Well, right after everyone's knocked out by the gas, you're sending Aldo down to inject Violet with that drug of yours." She replied, her voice laced with anger. He stared at her in surprise._

_"I'm starting to think you're growing soft, Juliet." He said. She raised an eyebrow._

_"I still don't like it, Ben. I don't see why it's necessary to give Violet that drug." She said._

_"That drug, Juliet, is the only way you'll get into that camp safely. Once Violet is injected, the symptoms will become fully activated once she wakes up from being unconscious. She'll start to have trouble breathing, she'll feel faint, develop a fever, and eventually collapse. You'll be back to the beach by then and you'll have a nice little crisis to solve."_

_"What makes you think they'll even take me back to the camp? Whether they believe I was left behind or not, I'm still considered their enemy."_

_"Jack is the key, Juliet. He trusts you. He'll take you back to the camp and he'll believe you when you tell him you have a serum that will save Violet's life. Once Violet is fine, and everybody realizes it was you that saved her, you'll be accepted into the camp." Ben stared at Juliet, who was staring at the table absent-mindedly._

_"Are you alright?" Ben asked. Juliet raised her head and stared at him levelly._

_"I'm fine." She lied. He stared at her, those menacing blue eyes, and then he dropped a gas mask on the table._

_"See you in a week, then."_


	26. Beneath the Surface

**Chapter Twenty Six: Beneath the Surface **

Violet was up in no time. She felt fine, and couldn't understand why Kate thought it was so essential for Violet to rest. _I just fainted from heat exhaustion. It's not like I was gonna die or anything._

Violet joined some of the survivors in their makeshift kitchen that morning and grabbed herself a cereal bar.

"Wow, Violet, you look so much better this morning." Claire said as she held Aaron close.

"Yeah, that was a sodding close one, if you ask me." Charlie added.

"Dude, I thought you were gonna, like, you know, die, or something." Hurley said. Violet stared at them and then laughed a little.

"Don't you think you're being a little over-dramatic? I was just over tired. God, I mean it's not like that's the first time I've passed out on this island." She said. Charlie and Claire exchanged serious glances.

"Is that seriously what you think happened? You must still be delirious from that fever." Charlie said.

"Delirious? Fever? Okay, come on, you can't be serious. I had heat exhaustion. You don't die from heat exhaustion!" Violet snapped, now really feeling that she really was out of the loop on something. That was when Juliet appeared at Violet's side.

"How are you feeling? Any difficulties breathing, tightness in the chest, dizziness, nausea?" She asked as she stared at Violet seriously. Violet's stomach dropped. Why the hell was Juliet asking? Why was everyone treating her like she had just recovered from the plague?

"You really don't know, do you?" Charlie asked. Juliet stared at Violet. Violet swallowed.

"Kate told me I just passed out from heat exhaustion." She said simply. Juliet opened her mouth, but closed it again.

"What happened?" Violet demanded. Everyone was silent, seemingly surprised Violet was confused. Juliet was the one who spoke.

"Your body had a major reaction to the knockout gas. It was shutting down your respiratory system. That's why you couldn't breath yesterday, and were coughing so much. You broke out in a fever. Violet, you were unconscious all night." Juliet replied. "It could have killed you."

Violet swallowed hard. Why the hell wouldn't Kate have told her this?

"But, I'm fine now. If I was that close to being dead, then how am I not dead right now?" Violet asked. She was asking Juliet, who only stared back quietly with no answer. It was Charlie who spoke up this time.

"It was her." He looked at Juliet. "She went running off into the jungle for some medicine. Obviously it worked." Violet felt her stomach drop. That was what Kate wanted to keep from Violet. The fact that it had been Juliet who had saved her life. Violet didn't say anything, but she felt so angry inside, it hurt.

When she turned around, she saw Kate wading in the ocean. Violet headed toward her quickly, but Juliet put a hand on Violet's shoulder to stop her.

"Cool off, Violet, don't do something you might regret." She said quietly. Violet ignored her and continued toward Kate. Kate smiled when she saw her, but the smile faded when she quickly realized something was wrong.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Why the hell would you lie to me about something so important?" Violet screamed out. Kate stared at her for a moment, before she looked up to see Juliet and the others watching from the kitchen. Kate sighed.

"She told you, didn't she?" Kate asked.

"It should have been you!" Violet snapped. Kate sighed.

"Look Violet, I just didn't want to scare you." She said. Violet shook her head angrily.

"That's not true! You just have a problem with the fact that it was Juliet who saved my life! Why do you have such a problem with her anyway?" She yelled. Kate stared at her incredulously.

"Are you actually asking me that? Are you actually asking why I have a problem with one of the Others? God, Violet, you act as though she's not the one who shot a dart in your neck, brought you to the rest of the Others, had you locked in a cage. Violet, I can't understand why, after all that, you trust her!" Kate snapped.

"I never said I trusted her!"

"You act like you do!"

"It's...it's complicated, okay? She...helped me...while I was there. She didn't tell Ben I tried to escaped. She helped me after Ben...she let me see you. Kate, she's not like the rest of them. I think she was just as much of a victim as we were." Violet now wished she hadn't confronted Kate. She didn't want to fight about this. Kate seemed to pick up on this. She exhaled slowly.

"Look honey, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. The fact is, I don't trust her. Whether you do or not is not my decision to make." She paused. "Are you feeling alright?" Violet sighed.

"Yes, I'm fine." Violet turned to leave, but then glanced at Kate quickly. "I'm sorry I yelled at you." And with that, Violet headed toward her tent, leaving Kate with her thoughts.

* * *

She could still hear voices when Violet decided to go to bed that night. It was still early, dark enough for a fire to be burning, but earlier than she normally went to sleep. She was still feeling very tired. She wasn't sure if that was the trip. or if it was the physical toil her body had endured from reacting to that gas. It scared her to think she had nearly died. It scared her even more that Jack obviously hadn't known what was wrong with her and that was when Juliet had stepped in to help. _Thank goodness she did._ Violet sighed to herself, when she heard familiar voices outside her tent. Curious, she stuck her head out of the tent.

She saw Kate and Jack in the kitchen, and Jack was pouring two bowls of cereal.

"How's Violet doing?" Jack asked. Kate shrugged.

"She seems fine. Back to her typical stubborn self." She rolled her eyes. Jack laughed.

"Well, then everything's right in the world." He said. Kate nodded.

"Doesn't it feel weird?" She asked, after a moment.

"What?"

"Being back. I mean, we were held prisoners by the Others for a while, then we came back to get you." She paused. "After everything we've been through, doesn't it feel weird to come back and pretend like everything is the way it was before this all started?"

Jack paused and shrugged.

"No use pretending anything. Things have to change." He picked up the two bowls. "Goodnight, Kate."

Violet watched as Jack made his way over to the shelter Juliet had created for herself. He sat down and handed Juliet the other bowl. She smiled at him, and the two began talking. Violet was more interested in Kate, at the moment. The way she was watching them wasn't good. Kate wasn't happy. Funny, Violet thought, she almost looked...jealous. _Of Jack and Juliet?_ Well, Violet had thought all along that Kate had a thing for Jack. _But why did she have sex with Sawyer?_ She shuddered at the thought.

Violet was about to go out and ask Kate what was wrong, but Kate jumped up and ran, right into Sawyer's tent! Violet stared incredulously.

She forced herself to imagine them talking about the Jack/Juliet situation, but when Kate snuck into the tent (Violet pretended to be asleep) hours later, it was difficult to think they had just been talking all this time. Violet shivered to herself. _Gross._


	27. Dwelling on Things

**Chapter Twenty Seven: Dwelling on Things**

Violet woke up before Kate did the next morning, but Kate had been up half the night with Sawyer. Violet still couldn't believe they slept together. Twice now. Oh sure, she couldn't prove that's what they were doing last night, but it didn't take a genius.

Violet left the tent quietly and walked down the beach toward a small rock that was just big enough for her to sit on. She liked this rock, because her and Walt used to sit there together and talk about stuff. She wished more than anything she could still feel that special bond to him. But it was gone, just as he was. God, she missed him. She had never gotten the chance to tell Walt about her father. _At least he would have believed me. He would've felt it._ She thought, remembering Kate's reaction.

Sighing, Violet reached into her pocket and pulled out her father's letter again. She opened it, just longing to feel close to someone, _anyone._ Everyone in her family was dead, Walt was gone, Kate lied to her. Nothing felt the same anymore.

She looked out at the ocean, and imagined herself forcing her head under the massive waves, drowing away her sorrows, her questions, her life. _Is that how he did it?_

Violet swallowed, as she looked through the letter again.

"Hey," She heard a voice from beside her. She turned her head quickly to see Juliet washing a shirt in the ocean. Juliet offered a sympathetic smile.

"It's not good to dwell on things, Violet." She said quietly, looking at the letter Violet held so tightly. Violet opened her mouth, ready to defend herself, but instead, she tucked her letter away, jumped off the rock, and walked over to Juliet, who looked up curiously.

"I want to know how...how he died." Violet said quietly. Juliet stood up, and walked right up to Violet.

"I already told you, Violet, he took his own-"

"I know that!" Violet sighed. "What I mean is, I want to know _how_...how he killed himself." Violet replied.

Juliet's expression completely changed. She looked down at Violet with sad eyes, as she considered her for just a moment.

"I can't tell you that, Violet." She said. Violet looked at her in surprise.

"Why not? You had everything about me on file. You've_ got_ to know!"

"I do know."

"Then why can't you tell me?" Violet asked, fighting back tears of anger. The only person on this entire island (besides Ben, of course) who knew the truth wouldn't even tell her.

Juliet continued to look at her silently, and Violet could feel herself getting angrier.

"Tell me, damn it!" She screamed out suddenly.

"Hey." A voice said from the distance. Violet turned and saw Kate approaching them, her eyes on Violet. Obviously she had heard her yelling. "What's going on?" Violet lost it.

"She won't tell me! She won't tell me how! I _just_ need to know how!" But she wasn't talking to Kate, she was still looking at Juliet. Juliet shook her head, and Kate immediately felt uncomfortable with the conversation that was happening.

"Okay Violet, go get some water or something, and calm down. I'll be there in a second." She said, turning to Violet.

"No, damn it, I have to know-"

"Violet, go!" Kate stared at her for a moment before Violet finally complied, stomping her whole way back to the camp, turning around to glare at Juliet a few times. Juliet exhaled.

"What the hell is going on between the two of you?" Kate asked suddenly. Juliet was caught off guard.

"I'm sorry?" She asked, going back to washing her shirt in the ocean.

"You heard me. I know you told her about her father being dead, but I don't believe you. I think you people _lied _to her_, _and used that to bring her down, so she'd be, I don't know, easier to deal with. And now, it's all she can think about, and it doesn't help that you're right here, with all the so-called answers." Kate replied in a quiet voice, but lined with anger. Juliet shook her head.

"Whether you believe me or not, her father is dead. He killed himself. I told her for reasons I don't need to get into with you, but it is the truth. Believe it or not, Kate, I'm not the enemy here." She said as calmly as she could muster. Kate only stared at her, shaking her head.

"Stay away from her, alright? You may have saved her life, but that doesn't give you any brownie points in my book. You're still one of them, and I want you as far away from her as possible." With that, Kate turned and walked away, leaving Juliet knee-deep in the ocean.

* * *

When Kate returned to the camp, she saw Violet off in the distance, up in a tree she liked to climb. Kate sighed, and headed over. Why the hell was Violet so keen on talking to Juliet? Why wouldn't she believe Kate when she told her the Others probably used that as a lie to subdue her? _Why is she starting to trust Juliet?_

When she got to the bottom of the tree, Kate looked up and saw Violet sitting on a thick branch, legs dangling on either side.

"Hey Violet." Kate said. Violet looked down, acknowledged Kate's presence, and looked up toward the ocean again. Kate sighed.

"You're mad at me, aren't you?" She asked.

"I'm not a little kid, you know." Violet replied quietly.

"What?"

"I can take care of myself! It's not like Juliet was going to attack me, or drown me, or whatever. I was just having a conversation with her."

"It hardly sounded like a conversation. More like a confrontation."

"Whatever. You didn't have to step in like that."

"Violet, I don't want you talking to her. She's one of the Others."

"She knows about my dad, alright? I need to know how he did it. How he killed himself! She's the only one on this island who knows."

"Violet, you can't even know for sure she's telling you the truth." Kate said strongly. Kate hated saying it, especially if what Juliet was saying really _was_ true. What if Violet's father really had taken his own life? She couldn't begin to fathom what would drive one of the Others to tell Violet the truth about something.

Violet finally looked down at Kate, and shook her head.

"You just don't like her, that's why you're being like this." She said quietly. Kate laughed a little.

"Damn right I don't like her. Have _you_ forgotten who she is?" She asked.

"Is it because Jack trusts her?"

"What?"

"Jack's been spending time with her, and I don't think you like that. God Kate, is that why you went to Sawyer's tent last night?"

Kate froze in her thoughts. How the hell did Violet know about that? She must not have been asleep. She must have seen her last night. Kate immediately felt foolish. She was already feeling regretful about sleeping with Sawyer, now the situation was worse. Violet knew.

Kate sighed, looked up at Violet.

"Stay away from Juliet." And with that, she walked away, leaving Violet up the tree, thinking about what she had just said.


	28. Sun

**Chapter Twenty Eight: Sun**

Violet returned to the camp a little while later, and couldn't find Kate anywhere. She felt horrible for what she had said to her. God, it was none of _her_ business who Kate slept with, and she certainly had to right to suggest Kate was jealous of Jack and Juliet. _Whether she is or not._

Violet wanted to apologize, but no matter where she looked, she couldn't find Kate anywhere. She walked over to where Charlie was packing up his guitar. Violet puckered her brow.

"What are you doing?" She asked. Charlie jumped. God, he'd been so tense lately, ever since he started hanging out with Desmond.

Violet thought Desmond was quite the strange character. He seemed nice enough, but he mostly kept to himself, seemingly immersed in his thoughts. Violet mostly avoided him when she could, he seemed to know things, and whatever was going on with Charlie, she figured Desmond had a role in it.

"Oh hey Violet. You scared me." Charlie sighed. "Going on a little camping trip. You know, boys only. We figured we'd just explore a little bit up the beach, maybe trek through the jungle, sing a few campfire songs, tell ghost stories."

"A camping trip in _that_ jungle?" Violet raised an eyebrow. "That hardly seems safe."

"Well, it's not just me going. I've got Hurley, Jin and Des going too."

"Des? You mean Desmond?"

"Yeah."

"He kinda creeps me out, Charlie." Violet said with a shudder. Charlie opened his mouth and then closed it again. He looked as though he was ready to say something, but thought better of it.

"Nothing wrong with him, really. Just...well, different I guess," Charlie cleared his throat. "Anyway, we're off. Take care, Violet." Charlie picked up his guitar and began heading over to Hurley's tent.

"Hey Charlie, have you seen Kate?" Violet called after him.

"No, sorry." Charlie yelled back, running now. Violet shook her head. Something was going on with Charlie. She wondered if Claire knew. She would have to remember to ask her if she had a chance.

Violet walked back up toward her tent when she saw Kate sitting on the sand with Sun. Violet approached them and caught pieces of their conversation.

"...different." Sun was saying.

"I don't know what you mean, Sun." Kate replied.

"I mean, ever since Jack's been back, he's not himself." Sun looked up to acknowledge Violet's presence, but she continued talking to Kate. "He is with that woman a lot. Juliet. I thought she was one of the Others."

"She is." Kate said with a roll of her eyes.

"She _was._" Violet corrected. Sun ignored her.

"Kate, what if he's working for them?" She asked. Kate stared at her.

"What?"

"What if Jack is working for the Others?" She sighed. "He was asking me a lot of questions about my baby. Don't you remember? The Others tried to take Claire's baby away from her when she was still pregnant. What if they want my baby too?" Violet raised an eyebrow.

"You're pregnant?" She knelt down in the sand next to Sun and Kate. "Congratulations." Kate interrupted.

"Sun, Jack is not working for the Others." She said. Violet nodded her agreement wholeheartedly, looking over at Jack, who was talking to Claire and letting Aaron grab his fingers.

"How do you know that, Kate? Why did they want Claire's baby? What makes you think they don't want mine as well?" Sun asked, holding her stomach. Kate sighed.

"Look, they wanted Claire's baby for research. Juliet was their fertility doctor or something, okay?"

"Research? For what?" Sun asked. Kate kept her mouth shut, looking over at Violet. Violet could see it. Kate knew something, more than she was letting on. Sun picked up on it as well.

"Kate, what aren't you telling me?" She asked. Kate sighed.

"Nothing, alright? But you have to stop worrying. Jack isn't working for them." Sun was silent for a moment, sharing a nervous glance with Violet. Kate was about ready to change the subject, when Sun caught glimpse of Juliet down the beach. Without a word, Sun got up and began walking toward her.

"Woah, Sun, what are you doing?" Kate asked, jumping up, Violet following suit. Kate saw what Sun was doing and breathed out.

"Sun, I don't think this is a good idea." Kate said urgently, as she followed Sun's quick strides. Violet couldn't understand why Kate was trying to stop her. What did she know that she wasn't letting on?

"Go away Kate." Sun said steadily as she approached Juliet. Kate breathed out slowly.

Juliet saw the three of them approaching, and she stood up from her laundry curiosly. Sun walked right up to her.

"I want to know about your research. What happens to pregnant women on this island?" She asked loudly. Juliet looked at her seriously.

"You're pregnant, aren't you? Are you sure?" She asked politely.

"I asked _you_ a question. What happens to pregnant women on this island? What do you people think you're doing? You took Claire, you _wanted_ her baby! What happens to pregnant women on this island?" Sun was shouting now. "What happens to preg-"

"They die." Juliet interrupted calmly. Violet felt her heart skip a beat, as she stared at Sun. "They all die."

Sun stared at Juliet wide-eyed and speechless. Violet's heart was racing, and when she looked up at Kate, she didn't look surprised at all. _That_ must have been what she had been hiding. But how did she know?

Kate took hold of Sun's arm.

"Come on, Sun." She said quietly, pulling her away. Sun went hesitantly, looking back at Juliet once, before she followed Kate. Violet knew by the look on Kate's face she had better follow too, but when she looked back at Juliet, she couldn't help but feel like Juliet had hated giving Sun those news.

* * *

Sleep was just not coming to her, no matter _how_ hard she tried. Kate, however, was fast asleep, even snoring slightly. Violet sighed. At least Kate wasn't mad at her. After Kate talked to Sun for a while, Violet was able to corner Kate and apologize for what she had said earlier. Kate had brushed it off, saying it wasn't a big deal. It was one less thing Violet had to worry about.

She couldn't believe what Juliet had said earlier. Pregnant women on this island die? _How the hell can that be possible? Claire was pregnant and she had Aaron. He's okay and so is she. _Violet couldn't understand. Maybe the only reason Claire and Aaron survived was because of something the Others did to her while she had been kidnapped by them. Violet didn't know, but she knew one thing was for sure: she was worried sick about Sun now. She wanted answers.

Unable to sleep, Violet quietly crawled out of the tent and stretched up. The moon was full and reflecting upon the water. The sky was completely clear, and the moon lit up the entire camp. Which was perfect for Violet, because she wanted to go over to where the graves were, and be with Katie. God, she missed her big sister. No matter how long it had been, or how much had happened since the crash, Violet couldn't stop missing her.

All she could hear was the sound of the sand swishing beneath her sandals, as she walked toward the graveyard. There wasn't even a breeze, it was so peaceful. Violet exhaled slowly, wishing she could share this moment with her sister, when she suddenly felt a hand over her mouth, pulling her backwards, into a bunch of trees.

Violet tried to scream, but a gentle hand rested on her arm, and a quiet voice told her to be quiet. Violet recognized the voice. It was Juliet. _Kate was right. She's still one of them!_ Panic set into her, thinking Juliet was going to take her back to Ben. It was over, everything was over.

"Relax Violet, I'm not going to hurt you. I need your help with something, but we have to be very quiet about it, okay?" Juliet asked very quietly, in a low whisper. Violet breathed out through her nose before she nodded slowly. Juliet waited a moment before she finally let her hand slip away from Violet's mouth and released her arm. Violet turned around, trying not to look frightened, and she swallowed hard.

"What do you want from me?" She asked, noticing her voice was shaking a little bit. Juliet sighed.

"Look, I have a way I can help save Sun and her baby. Pregnant women on this island die, Violet, but there may be a way I can save that from happening, but I need your help. Sun won't talk to me, or trust me, but if you go and tell her, she'll listen to you." She replied. Violet stared at her uncertainly.

"What makes you think I trust you?" She asked quietly. Juliet stared at her seriously for a moment before she answered.

"Did you believe me when I told you about your father? Do you believe the letter I gave you is really from him?" She asked. Violet swallowed hard. She knew how much Kate didn't believe it to be true, but Violet, that was a different story.

Violet nodded.

"Then believe me now. This is serious. Please, Violet." Juliet said quietly. Violet thought about it for a moment, and very nearly said no. But then she thought about the time that Juliet helped her out. When she had tried to escape from the Hydra, and Juliet had kept it a secret. She had done it to keep Violet safe. She had done it because she had wanted to help, for some reason. Violet couldn't help but wonder if that genuineness for Violet's safety was present here too. Did Juliet really care about Sun's baby? After all, she _was_ a fertility doctor, wasn't she? _She made her sister pregnant._ Violet sighed.

"Alright," She said quietly. "I'll help you."


	29. DOC

**Chapter Twenty Nine: DOC**

Jin had been gone for hours, off with Charlie, Hurley and Desmond on their camping trip. Violet knew for sure, because she had seen them all walk off down the beach earlier that day. Now, it had to be long after midnight, as Violet quietly snuck down to where Sun's tent was.

She breathed out slowly. If Kate knew what she was doing...

Violet chose not to think about it. Kate was sound asleep. Hopefully they would be back before morning, and Kate would never have to know. Besides, she didn't care _what_ Kate said, she did trust that Juliet was genuinely wanting to help Sun's baby, and if Violet could do something to make that happen, she had to at least try.

Violet crawled into Sun's tent, and shifted until she was beside Sun, who was sound asleep.

"Sun." Violet whispered quietly, as she shook Sun's arm. Sun stirred slightly.

"Jin-Soo-Shin?" She mumbled, as she forced her eyes open. Violet smiled to herself.

"No, it's just me." She said, as Sun sat up and acknowledged Violet's presence. She was obviously confused. It wasn't as though Sun and Violet talked very often. In fact, they hardly talked at all.

"Violet? What are you doing here?" Sun asked. Violet pressed her finger to her lips, motioning Sun to be quiet. Sun puckered her brow.

"What's going on, Violet?" She asked again. Violet exhaled, unsure how she was supposed to pull this off.

"Look, I really need you to trust me on this okay?" She looked back toward the flaps of Sun's tent, making sure they were still alone. "Juliet can help you and your baby. She says she has a way, but we have to go right now."

"What? Violet, what do you mean? She's one of the Others." Sun pointed out. Violet shook her head.

"She's a fertility doctor, Sun. She can help your baby. Look, I don't know much about why pregnant women die on this island, but they _do._ I don't understand it, but I do know that means you're in danger. Juliet says she can help." She tried so hard to convince Sun, but it was so hard. Sun was almost as skeptical as Kate. But at the mention of danger, Sun seemed to change her whole demeaner.

"How do you know we can trust her, Violet? How do you know she won't just lead us into the jungle like Ethan did with Charlie and Claire? How do you know they don't just want my baby for research like Claire's?" She asked. Violet sighed, and stared at Sun seriously.

"I guess I don't know that for sure, but for some reason or another, I trust her. There's more to it than I can get into right now, but she...she helped me when they had me prisoner. Nevermind, Sun, but I really do think she can help you. We have to at least _try._ Think about the baby." Violet looked down at Sun's stomach, and Sun placed her hand there.

Silence followed, as Sun thought about what Violet had said. Violet knew there wasn't anything more she could say to try and convince her. The decision was Sun's now. Violet wasn't sure where Juliet had planned on taking them, but she had to believe it was going to be for the best.

* * *

It wasn't long before Sun and Violet were quietly making their way to the treeline, where Juliet had told Violet to meet her if Sun agreed. The camp was silent, and both Sun and Violet did their best to make sure it stayed that way. Violet especially. _If Kate knew...._

They reached Juliet, who was hidden among the trees. She looked at Sun with a bit of a smile.

"I'm glad you decided to come, Sun." She said quietly. Sun just stared at her, and never said a word. Juliet turned her attention to Violet.

"Thank you, Violet." She looked back toward the camp. "You should probably head back. If Kate finds you and I both missing in the morning..." Violet stared at her in surprise.

"If you think I'm just going to let you and Sun go off into the jungle by yourselves, you're crazy. I don't trust you." She stumbled on those words. She knew they weren't true. She mostly wanted to come along out of curiosity, and to be there for Sun, but she didn't believe Juliet was going to do anything to hurt Sun.

Juliet gave Violet a look that very nearly suggested she knew what Violet was thinking.

"Alright." Juliet looked at Sun. "Let's go then. It's a bit of a walk."

* * *

It must have taken a couple of hours as the three of them trekked through the jungle, all carrying lit torches to guide the way. Nobody said a word the whole journey, and Violet couldn't stop wondering what would happen if Kate woke up and found out that both Juliet _and_ Violet were gone. _She already thinks she's out to get all of us. _Violet sighed.

Finally, Juliet stopped not far ahead of them, and handed her torch to Sun.

"Here it is." Juliet said, as she stepped forward, and moved some bushes aside. Violet swallowed hard. There was a hidden Dharma station under those bushes! Violet recognized the Dharma logo.

"What...what is this place?" Violet asked, as she moved her torch to get a better look. Juliet turned and saw both Sun and Violet staring at her inquisitively.

"It's a medical station. It has an ultrasound machine." Juliet replied.

"How is that going to help my baby?" Sun asked, her voice laced with fear and anger.

"I'm going to determine the date of conception. We'll be able to determine whether the baby was conceived on the island, or off. If it was conceived before you got to the island, you and your baby will probably be fine. If it was conceived here, well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there." Juliet turned to open the giant steel doors, and Violet stole a glance at Sun, who was deep in thought. Violet couldn't believe this. What was wrong with this island that caused pregnant women to die? How many patients had Juliet lost because of it?

Juliet had the doors open, and she descended into the darkness of the station. Sun and Violet put down their torches and stepped up to the entrance. Violet swallowed hard. _If anything happens down there...nobody will hear us._ She thought she trusted Juliet, but now that she was alone with her, she wasn't so sure. _Why would she want to help Sun anyway?_

As Violet and Sun lowered themselves into the station, the lights went on. Juliet must have turned them on. Violet swallowed hard. From what she had been told, Ethan had taken Claire to a Dharma medical station and kept her there. _Is this where they kept Claire?_ Violet shuddered at the thought.

It was silent for a moment as Juliet came back to join them, and Sun stared at her with dagger eyes.

"Why are you doing this? Why do you want to help me?" She asked. Violet crossed her arms for warmth, it was cold down here.

Juliet seemed to consider Sun for a moment, before she put her hands in her pocket, and started to speak.

"Before I came here, I used to tell women they were pregnant. It was the best news they had ever received. Their faces just lit up. Then I came here. Telling women they were pregnant started a process of doing everything in my power to save them. In the last three years, I lost nine women. Nine!" Juliet had tears in her eyes. "I'm doing this, Sun, because I want to be able to tell you that you and your husband got pregnant before you came to this island. Because if that's true, you should be fine. I want to give good news again."

Sun looked down, and Violet could see something there that wasn't there before. Sun finally looked up.

"Before I came to this island, I was with another man." She said. Violet stared at her. Sun? An affair? _Does Jin know?_ Judging by what she knew about Jin's short temper, Violet took a stab in the dark, assuming Jin had no idea.

"Jin and I...before we came here, we weren't. I met somebody else. If I got pregnant before I came here, the baby won't be Jin's." Sun paused, feeling her throat close up. "It was a mistake."

Juliet stared at her sympathetically.

"We all make mistakes." She said. Sun's face immediately grew cold again as she stared at Juliet.

"Which way?" Sun asked.

As Juliet led the way into a dark room, Violet tried to make sense of everything that was happening. If Juliet really could determine the day the baby had been conceived, then they would know if Sun got pregnant on or off of the island. _But if she got pregnant here, she's going to...die. _Violet sighed, clutching herself tightly. _Too many people have died._ She forced herself not to think about it.

Juliet pulled a hidden lever and the wall beside her pushed open. Violet swallowed. _A secret passageway? But why? Why would they hide a room?_

"Violet, can you help me push this open?" Juliet asked suddenly. Violet moved forward and took a hold of one side of the door, sliding it forward. It was heavy, but with the two of them moving it, it budged, and allowed a small entry-way for the three of them.

Sun and Violet followed Juliet inside the hidden room, and Violet looked around, feeling slightly creeped out. It almost looked like a storage room. A forgotten crib, boxes of toys, and an old ultrasound machine. Violet swallowed hard and looked right at Juliet.

"Why is this room hidden?" She asked quietly. Juliet turned and looked at her, offering a small smile.

"Don't worry about it." She said quietly.

"No, tell me!" Violet said loudly. Juliet exhaled and looked from her to Sun.

"It's where we brought the pregnant women to die." Juliet replied. Violet's heart skipped a beat as she looked around.

Juliet continued to prepare the ultrasound machine, as Violet stood rooted to the spot. Juliet said she had lost nine pregnant women. _Nine people died in this room._ Violet felt sick to her stomach, just thinking about it. _How did they die? What about being pregnant kills them?_ Violet just wanted to be back at the camp, wishing she had never come here, wishing she had never known about those nine pregnant women.

"Are you ready?" Juliet asked Sun a few moments later. Sun hesitantly nodded, and Juliet patted her hand on the examining table. Sun carefully hopped on and laid back. Violet hesitantly moved toward them, staring at the blank screen. _I wish Kate were here._

Violet barely paid any attention as Juliet put some kind of jelly on Sun's stomach, and began moving a sensor around her stomach. Violet wanted nothing more than to get up and run, run from everything, run from death. Her mother, Katie, her dad, so many people on this island. She had seen Joanna die, seen Danny Pickett die, Bea Klugh, Mikhail. Then there was Boone, Shannon, Ana Lucia, Libby, and how many others she hadn't even had the chance to get to know. _Now_ she was standing in a room where _nine_ women had lost their lives. And now, if Sun's baby was conceived on this island...

Violet wished...

"You alright Violet?" Juliet's voice broke the silence. Violet turned her head away, crossing her arms.

"Fine." She said quietly. Suddenly she heard a quiet little thumping sound. Violet turned around and her eyes rested on the screen. She could hardly make it out, but it was...

"There it is, Sun. There's your baby." Juliet said with a big smile on her face. Violet stared at the screen, amazed at what she was seeing. At the bottom of the screen was what looked like a heartbeat. That's what that thumping sound was.

Sun had tears in her eyes as she smiled at the screen.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, it's too early to tell." Juliet replied with a happy laugh. Violet smiled to herself.

"That's a strong heartbeat though, Sun. It's a very healthy baby." Juliet said. Violet breathed out. _So it's going to be okay? Is that what it means?_ Violet wasn't sure, but Juliet removed the sensor from Sun's stomach, and turned back to the computer.

"Okay, moment of truth." She said seriously, as she began to key something into the computer. "You crashed on this island about 90 days ago. The baby was conceived about 8 weeks ago. 53 days." Juliet sighed. "You got pregnant on the island."

Sun immediately began to cry, and Violet instinctively put her hand on Sun's arm, trying hard not to cry herself. _Sun is going to die. Just like everyone else on this island!_ She bit her lip.

"I'm sorry Sun, I'm so sorry. I will do everything I can to help you." Juliet said with tears in her own eyes.

Sun turned to Juliet with a small smile, tears still streaming down her cheeks. Violet looked confused.

"It's...it's Jin's." She said happily, through her tears. Violet's stomach sank. Then she understood. _Even though she knows she's going to die...it's still her husband's baby. _Violet sighed, turning away. _Nothing makes sense._

* * *

When the three of them came out of the hatch, the sun had risen. Violet sighed, she didn't realize how much time had passed. By now, Kate would be awake and wondering where Violet had gone. _And Juliet's gone too. This will not look good._

"How much time do I have, Juliet?" Sun asked suddenly. Juliet stared at her for a moment before she realized what Sun was asking. Juliet sighed.

"Most of the women made it to their second trimester." She explained. "None of them made it to their third."

"That gives me two months." Sun realized, with a sigh. "I'm happy that the baby is Jin's. Thank you, Juliet. You gave me good news." Violet sighed to herself. _How the hell is that good news? She's going to die!!_ Violet bit her fist to keep her tears from spilling.

"I have to run inside and make sure we covered our tracks alright. I'll be right back." Juliet said, as she went back inside the hatch. Violet and Sun stood outside, waiting for Juliet to lead them back to the camp. Neither of them said a word, they just stood silently, each immersed in her own thoughts.


	30. Juliet's Betrayal

**Chapter Thirty: Juliet's Betrayal**

Juliet took Violet aside and told her to go on ahead with Sun, so nobody would see the three of them coming back to the camp together. Violet agreed, knowing the conflict that would arise if Juliet returned to camp with them. Juliet said she would take another route back.

Along the way, Sun hardly said two words to Violet, and Violet didn't know what to say. Sun was going to die, there wasn't much else to talk about.

As they neared their camp, Sun took a hold of Violet's arm and stopped her. Violet looked up at her curiosly.

"We can't tell anyone where we were, Violet, or what we were doing." She said quietly. Violet managed a small nod. She already knew this was true. She couldn't tell Kate that she followed Juliet out into the jungle on trust alone. She would never hear the end of it. But she wondered why Sun wanted to keep it a secret. As though Sun had read her mind, she continued.

"I don't want Jin to find out about this. I don't want him to know...how much time I have. It would break his heart." She said, more to herself than anything. Violet swallowed, not knowing what to say.

"I won't say anything, Sun." She promised. Sun nodded, and they continued walking.

"Grab some of that fruit," Sun pointed to a pile of mangos. "If anybody asks, we left early this morning to gather some fruit." Violet gathered a handful of mangos as Sun did the same, when a thought hit Violet.

"But what if Kate woke up in the middle of the night and noticed I was gone?" She asked. Sun turned to look at her, and offered a small smile.

"Then I guess you'll have to think of something fast." She replied. Violet sighed. _Great._

* * *

But when they returned on the beach a few moments later, holding armfuls of mangos, Violet caught sight of Kate, who only glanced in their direction, smiled, and turned back to Sayid. Violet breathed a sigh of relief. _Thank God._

Dropping the mangos on the table they had constructed out of bamboo shoots, Violet headed over to Kate and Sayid, who were talking very quietly outside of Sayid's tent. She passed Hurley along the way, saying a quick hello. They must have made it back from their camping trip, she thought, knowing Jin would be back too. But there was something off about Hurley. He looked nervous about something. Violet swallowed hard. Approaching Kate and Sayid, she noticed they looked serious, _too_ serious, and immediately clammed up when Violet arrived.

"Hi Violet, collecting fruit with Sun this morning?" Kate asked, obviously not interested. Why did Sayid keep looking toward his tent so nervously.

"Yeah." She looked toward Sayid's tent. "What's going on?"

"Nothing you need to be concerned about." Sayid answered a little too quickly. Violet puckered her brow, looking back at Kate, who turned her attention back to Sayid.

"Look, Jack needs to know what's going on." She said, ignoring Violet's presence.

"I do not think Jack can be trusted right now. He was with those people for a week, I still do not trust him. What if he has been compromised?" Sayid asked.

"He's a doctor, Sayid. And our leader."

"His leadership is questionable to me right now, and something like this is too important to risk if he is working for them."

"You still think he's working for them?" Violet asked suddenly. "Is it because he said he trusted Juliet? She's not _with_ them anymore. That's all!"

"Violet, why don't you just go back to whatever it was you were doing?" Kate said a little irritably, looking back at Sayid. "I'm sorry, Sayid, but I'm telling Jack about her."

_Her??_ Kate turned from the tent, and headed down the beach, leaving Violet confused, as she looked at Sayid for answers. He never returned her glance, as he exhaled loudly, so there was nothing left to do but follow Kate down the beach. If Kate was going to tell Jack what was going on, Violet wanted to be there.

God, she had only been gone for a few hours. What could have _possibly_ happened that was so important? _And why doesn't anybody want to tell me anything? I'm not a little kid!_

Kate stopped in front of where Jack was sitting on the beach, and Violet wasn't surprised to see he was sitting next to Juliet, who was eating a banana. Violet ran to catch up, not wanting to miss what was going on, surprised to see Juliet had already returned to the beach. She must have gone around the other side. _She must have run._

"I need to talk to you." Kate said simply, looking down at Jack, with her hands on her hips. Violet stopped, earning her an unimpressed look from Kate, but as Violet crossed her arms, Kate got the impression Violet wasn't planning on going anywhere. Kate let it go, and looked back at Jack, who shrugged casually.

"Alright, shoot." He said. Kate glared at Juliet, and then back to Jack.

"Not in front of her." She said with a sense of finality, but Jack shook his head.

"Whatever it is, Kate, Juliet's fine hearing it." He pointed out. Violet couldn't exactly read the expression on Kate's face at that moment, but it was not happy. Finally, she exploded a little.

"You know, it's funny how you wonder why nobody seems to trust you anymore, Jack. I guess you've really forgotten who they are, who _she_ is." She stared at Juliet. "That's why nobody is telling you anything, but I really thought you should know about the woman who parachuted onto this island, with a satellite phone, who has been in and out of consciousness in Sayid's tent ever since Hurley, Charlie, Jin and Desmond got back from their camping trip and found her!" She said it loudly, angered and somewhat hurt. Violet's stomach jolted. A woman parachuted onto the island with a phone? _A rescue mission?_ Violet felt sick to her stomach just thinking about being found. God, anything but _that._

Jack looked just as confused as Violet felt, with the overload of information. Jack exchanged glances with Juliet and turned to Kate.

"What?" He asked.

"They found her hanging from a tree in the jungle, a branch punctured her lung. They got it out and she's breathing okay now. But they got her talking, and she's not alone. She has a freighter just miles from the island, but her phone isn't working." She replied.

"Why wasn't anyone planning on telling me this?" Jack asked. Kate sighed. The sigh was full of hurt and pain and confusion, but she bit her lip as she stared at Jack opposingly.

"Just look who you're sitting with, Jack." She replied, and she turned and walked away, rubbing her eyes. Violet sighed, not knowing what else to do but to follow her. Violet didn't care how much time she spent with Kate, she still couldn't figure out who her feelings really belonged to. Did she love Sawyer, or did she love Jack?

At that moment, Violet chose not to think about it. There were bigger issues to worry about. If this woman who happened to parachute on this island had a boat nearby, then maybe they really _were _a rescue party. If that was the case, Violet wasn't really sure _what_ she was going to do. She didn't care what she had to do. Even if she had to go into hiding and live on the island by herself like Danielle Rousseau did, even if she had to be captured by the Others again, even if she was _killed_, she would _not_ be rescued. She _never_ wanted to leave the island.

* * *

For the rest of the day, Violet tried to ask Kate questions about this mystery woman who randomly parachuted onto the island, but Kate skirted around the questions, changing the subject, or claimed she had other things that needed to be done, and took off. Besides, Kate said, she knew just as much about this woman than she did, but Violet wasn't overly positive that was the truth. Or maybe it was, and Kate was just avoiding her because she was trying to deal with her own feelings on Jack being with Juliet all the time. Or maybe she was trying to sort out her feelings for Sawyer. Or maybe it was conflicting emotions between both Jack and Sawyer. Once Violet realized this, she left Kate alone.

So she decided to go directly to the source. She saw Charlie and Hurley down at the end of the beach, playing a game of ping pong, so she casually walked over, merely pretending to be interested in their game.

"Oh hey Violet." Hurley said, as he served.

"Hi." Violet replied, clearing her throat. "So how was your camping trip?"

"It was great." Charlie said, never looking at her, focusing on his game with Hurley. Violet immediately noticed that Hurley looked nervous. She pressed on.

"Anything...exciting happen?" She asked.

"No, not really." Charlie served the ball, and Hurley didn't move. He was just staring at Violet.

"Hurley!"

"Nothing out of the ordinary happened?" Violet continued. Charlie looked at her.

"No." He said, after a moment's hesitation.

"Dude, she's on to us, just look at her." Hurley said, putting his ping pong paddle down. Violet smiled a little, and then turned to Charlie.

"Look I know about the parachute girl, okay?" She admitted. Charlie puckered his brow.

"Wait, how-"

"It doesn't matter, I know." She leaned forward. "I want to know everything."

"Dude, you gotta lay off this whole being nosy thing. You don't have to know everything." Hurley said. Violet shot him a look, and turned her attention back to Charlie.

"I heard she had a phone. And a boat. Is she here to rescue us?" She asked in a quiet voice. Charlie sighed, scratching his head, looking around. Obviously he was looking for some way out of this, but as he looked back at Violet, whose arms were crossed, he knew he had been backed into a corner.

"She was sent here to find Desmond. She's not here to rescue us, but she could, if her phone was working. Her people are on a freighter of sorts, about 80 miles from the beach. If she could get into contact with them, they could send people to get us all off this island for good." He explained. Violet's heart stopped, she was sure of it. Swallowing any kind of reaction, she continued.

"Why isn't the phone working? Is it broken?" She wanted to know.

"Yeah, but Sayid's already fixed it. The only problem is, the connection is jammed or something. She can't get in contact with anyone." Charlie explained. Violet sighed, but not quite of relief. Sayid was a telecommunications officer in Iraq, what if he was able to fix the phone? What if they did get in contact with that boat? What if they did get off this island? What would happen to Violet? Foster homes? Adoption? Group homes?

She didn't want to think about it.

"What's her name?" Violet asked, just trying to make conversation now.

"Naomi." Hurley replied, and then he paused. "But that's not the worst part."

Violet swallowed as she listened. What could possibly be worse than somebody coming to rescue them?

"She told us that the wreckage for our plane was found in some trench off the coast of Bali, or something. They counted 324 bodies." Hurley explained.

"That makes no sense, Hurley. For one thing, the plane is here, we still have the wreckage in the jungle. Plus, there were 324 people on the plane. How can they have found all the bodies, if we're here?" Violet was feeling slightly unsettled at the thought. Hurley didn't have to explain any more.

"Don't tell her that, Hurley, you're gonna scare the poor girl." Charlie said, as he put his hand on Violet's shoulder. "Don't be freaked out love, it's obviously some twisted mistake. We're here, we're not dead." Violet nodded.

"But everyone thinks we are." _Maybe if we did get rescued, I wouldn't have to give anyone my real name, and they would never know I'm an orphan._

"Do you think he'll get that phone working? Sayid, I mean?" Violet asked suddenly. Charlie shrugged.

"If anyone can do it, it's him." He said simply. Violet nodded, not liking that answer, but accepting it anyway. If only there was some way she could sneak into Sayid's tent where this Naomi person was staying, steal the phone, and throw it in the ocean. That would ruin all chances of them getting off this island.

Then she remembered the time she had burnt down the first raft and Kate had found out about it. That day, Kate had told her, _I know you don't want to be rescued, but other people do, Violet. Some people have families to get home to. I know you don't want to go back, but please promise me you won't burn down the new raft. I promise you, Violet, everything will be okay, whether we get rescued or not._

Violet knew ruining the phone would be just like burning down the raft, ruining everybody else's chance of getting off the island. She couldn't justify it, no matter how badly she wanted to stay.

Sighing, she turned from Hurley and Charlie and walked away. She wondered if things could possibly get any worse.

* * *

The next evening, Violet had gone down to where her sister's grave was, to talk to her. It wasn't like she could really talk to anyone on the island. Everyone wanted to be rescued. Everyone would welcome Naomi with welcome arms. Violet was the only one who wanted to stay. How could she tell anybody that?

So she talked to Katie, and as she did, she couldn't help but miss her big sister, her confidant, her best friend.

* * *

_"Hey Violet, how was school?" Katie yelled out as she heard the front door open and close. Katie checked her watch. Violet was a little late coming home, but she waved it away._

_Violet didn't answer her, she simply walked right past the dining room where Katie was sitting, on her way to her bedroom._

_"Woah, freeze!" Katie yelled. Violet always said hello, unless something was wrong. Katie wasn't stupid, she could read her little sister like a book. _

_Violet poked her head around the corner._

_"What?" She said, irritably. Katie shrugged._

_"Check the attitude. You okay?" Katie asked._

_"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"_

_"You didn't say hi." _

_"Oh, hi." Violet turned to leave._

_"Stop, Violet, come in here. Sit down. Tell me what's going on." Katie called. Violet came into the dining room, rolling her eyes._

_"God, Katie, you're so nosy!" _

_"Hey! Since when is it a sin to care about my sister, now sit down and tell me what's got you so down." Katie said as she pointed to the empty seat across from her. _

_Violet dropped into the seat bitterly, as she stared at her folded hands in front of her. Sighing, she finally broke the silence._

_"I got my report card today." She said quietly._

_Katie's heart skipped a beat. _That's today?_ She thought to herself, as she whirled around to look at the calendar. _I completely forgot.

_"Oh?" Katie said. Obviously there was something wrong with it, some stain on her report card, or else Violet would have flown through the door, waving it around like she always did, with her straight A's. "Can I see it?" _

_Hesitantly, Violet reached into her backpack and pulled out a manila envelope, and handed it to Katie. Katie looked to Violet, as though to ask her for permission to open it, but when Violet didn't argue, Katie pulled out the report card, and read down the list._

_English, 87%, A_

_History, 84%, A_

_Geography, 89%, A_

_Drama, 94%, A+_

_Biology, 53%, D_

_Math, 93%, A+_

_Katie looked up from the report card, and exhaled slowly. She knew exactly why Violet was upset._

_"Violet, why didn't you tell me you were having trouble with biology? I could have helped you." Katie said softly, putting the report card down. Violet sighed._

_"Because I thought I could improve on my own. I didn't think I needed any help." She brought her fist down on the table roughly. "Damn it, how the hell am I supposed to become a nurse if I'm failing biology?"_

_"First of all, watch your language, Violet. Second of all, you aren't failing it, not yet. It's only a midterm report card. That means you still have time to make it up. Don't be so hard on yourself." Katie replied._

_"Katie, I have had straight A's right through school. Sure, maybe a B here and there, but a D? I obviously can't be a nurse with those kinds of marks in biology." Violet moped._

_"Violet, you're only in the ninth grade, relax. I bet you didn't know I failed my ninth grade biology class. Well, I did. So don't be so hard on yourself. I'm a nurse, aren't I? That's because I got a tutor, I studied harder, and I worked harder. My grade on my final was 30% higher. So if I can do it, so can you." Katie said with a sense of finality._

_Violet didn't look convinced, though. Katie got up and went around the table, leaning down and taking her sister into her arms._

_"Listen, you got 5 A's, 2 of them were A+'s! That's something to be proud of! We'll work on biology. It's hard, but it's not impossible. If you want to be a nurse, then we'll work toward that, together." _

_Violet didn't feel much better that night, but she would eventually. All that mattered in that moment was the "we."_

_We'll work toward that, together._

* * *

Violet headed back to the beach when the sun had gone down and the stars had come out. The campfires were blazing, but nobody could be seen. Violet puckered her brow. Usually people were either by the fires, or in their tents, but everything seemed deserted. That was when she saw the crowd of people gathered in the kitchen area, it sounded like there was a heated argument happening, or something important. Violet picked up the pace a little as she headed toward the kitchen. That was when she saw her.

A woman, probably a little younger than Kate, was there. Dark hair pulled back with a white bandana, and a huge piece of gauze on her right size, where traces of blood could be seen. Violet knew without a doubt this must be Naomi, and everyone was asking her questions.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner, Sayid?" Somebody yelled out.

"If she's here to rescue us, we had a right to know." Another added.

"I have already told you, it was not a rescue mission, but if we can get a hold of her boat, it's a chance we have of getting off this island." Sayid said, seemingly exhausted from this question and answer period. Violet saw Kate was off in the distance, crossed arms, and leaning against a pole. Violet guessed she was still thinking about Jack.

"Why haven't we told Jack?" Claire asked. Violet looked and saw that Kate looked guilty.

"I didn't want him to know." He shot a look at Kate. "Naomi is our best chance of getting off this island, and that is why I wanted to keep it a secret from Jack. I believe he is with them now, the Others. If that is true, it is important to keep Naomi safe and away from him, because I do not believe the Others will let us leave so easily." Violet shook her head. She couldn't believe she was hearing this. How could Sayid really believe Jack was one of the Others?

"Why do you think he's working for the Others? Is it because of Juliet?" Sun asked. Violet turned, surprised to hear Sun speaking up, especially since Sun had been the one to suggest it in the first place. She wondered if what had happened the night before had changed her mind about Juliet, and therefore about Jack.

"He has been talking a lot with Juliet." Sayid pointed out. Violet shook her head.

"That doesn't mean anything. God, Sayid, she was left behind too. When are you going to give her the benefit of the doubt?" She asked. Sayid stared at her, and then turned to Sawyer, giving him a nod.

"Because Juliet was not left behind. She lied. Sawyer found this tape this afternoon." Sayid stared at Violet, as Sawyer stepped forward, hitting play on a small recording device. Immediately, Violet heard Juliet's voice.

"Ben, it's 6 a.m. on Saturday morning. Kwon is pregnant. The fetus is healthy and was conceived on island with her husband. I'm still working on getting samples from the other women, I should have Austen's soon. I'll report back when I know more."

Violet's heart skipped two beats when she heard it, and tried to register what she was hearing. She didn't even dare turn to see Sun's reaction, but what the hell was going on? If that voice recording was true, it meant Juliet was still working with _them._ That she had infiltrated their camp, lied about it, and claimed to help Sun when it was all just a ruse to find out who was pregnant. _She used me. Kate was right._

Kate.

_I'm still working on getting samples from the other woman, I should have Austen's soon._

The Others thought Kate could be pregnant.

Could she?

_She slept with Sawyer. Twice._ Violet's stomach was in knots. If Kate _was_ pregnant, she was going to die too, just like Sun, just like all nine of the women Juliet had told them about.

_Unless she lied about that too._

Violet was fuming, and barely heard the distant voice of Jack.

"What's going on?" He asked. Violet turned and saw Jack and Juliet both approaching the crowd of people.

Sayid stared at Jack levelly, and Sawyer pushed right past him with the tape recorder.

"I think somebody got caught with their hand in the cookie jar." He said sarcastically, as he played the tape again, his eyes never leaving Juliet's.

Juliet didn't appear shocked when she heard the tape, staring at Sawyer with those distant, cold eyes. What was worse was Jack's reaction. He didn't seem surprised at all. Violet shook her head, pushing past both Sayid and Sawyer until she was right in front of Juliet.

"I _trusted_ you. After everything I went through, after _everything_ they put me through, I thought you were different! With the letter, and, and, covering up the escape, and coming_ here, _because you said you were left behind too! You _lied_! You're a liar, a _liar!_" She screamed. Juliet didn't saw anything, just stared down at Violet with calm eyes. Violet continued to yell, but Charlie grabbed a hold of her and pulled her away, whispering something in her ear she couldn't make out. But she knew she should stop yelling, and see what the others would make of this. What _Jack_ would make of this. She swallowed her rage, wondering what their supposed leader was going to do now.

Juliet looked right at Sawyer.

"Turn the tape over." She said. Sawyer laughed.

"You're not exactly in a position to be making demands, cheeky."

"If you wanna burn me at the stake, that's fine, but at least listen to the other side first." Juliet said, a little too calmly. Jack nodded his agreement to Sawyer, who hesitantly did as he was told.

"This better be good." He muttered, as he flipped the tape. When he hit play, the familiar voice ran shivers up Violet's spine.

"Good work Juliet," Ben's voice rang through the camp. "Forget about the samples, we don't have much time. I'll be sending out a team on Tuesday night to take the women. Mark the tents with white stones, the tents of the women who you believe are pregnant, or might be. We'll be in and out of there quickly."

The tape stopped.

Silence ensued.

Juliet was the first to speak.

"I took Sun down to the medical station and did an ultrasound. When I found out she was pregnant, I recorded that message. After that, I told Jack what Ben was making me do." She said quietly. Violet swallowed. This was so confusing. She thought she trusted Juliet, then she found out she was working for the Others after all. _Now_ she was telling Jack what was going on?

"I haven't figured out a plan yet," Jack said, loud enough for the whole camp to hear. That familiar voice of authority, of leadership, of confidence. "But I think we have some catching up to do." He looked right at Sayid when he said this. Sayid looked away.

Violet shook her head, looking over at Kate, and then back at Juliet. If what Juliet was saying was true, if Ben had really recorded that message, then the Others were coming back to the camp in three days. To take the women who could be pregnant. Juliet had already said she was trying to get Austen's sample. Kate's sample. Kate's tent would be marked. The Others would take Kate away.

But Jack said he was working on a plan. Would it be good enough to fight off the Others? She remembered the last time the Others infiltrated their camp. Everyone had been knocked out cold, and they had dragged Violet out through the jungle, unconscious from a tranquilizer. She didn't know how many Others Ben was planning on sending, but would their camp be enough to fight them?

Would it be different if they were prepared?

Violet could only hope, _pray_ that whatever plan they came up with, it would work.


	31. Jack's Next Plan

**Chapter Thirty-One: Jack's Plan**

That night, Violet couldn't sleep. Her mind was racing a mile a minute. Everything her mind constructed kept contradicting itself. Everything she thought she knew had been crushed. Everything since she had first been taken by the Others seemed distorted and twisted now. Both Kate and Jack had told her not to trust Juliet, even though Juliet kept her secret about trying to escape, even though she told her about her father, even though she gave her a letter from her father, Kate still continued trying to convince her Juliet couldn't be trusted, but somewhere deep inside of Violet, she had felt like she could. Even to the point of convincing Sun to trek through the jungle with Juliet. Violet hated herself for that. _It was all part of their plan. Now they're going to take her. What if I had led her right into a trap?_

But then there was the other side of things. Juliet had been caught in her lie, yes, but then she exposed Ben's plan to the entire camp, and Jack claimed he would come up with a plan to stop the Others from taking the pregnant women, or the women who could be pregnant.

And the whole time, Jack was on her side, trusting her.

So was he working with them? Or was Juliet really serious about exposing Ben and trying to help them? Violet couldn't be sure anymore. Everything she had ever known was different now. What she wouldn't give to go back in time, before they knew anything about the Others, before she had been taken. Back when she could run into the jungle with Walt, just to get away. Back when they could go swimming in the ocean and laugh together, momentarily forgetting the losses they had endured. Back when their biggest concern was ravid polar bears and mysterious monsters in the jungle. Violet sighed. _Now we have to worry about the Others, and the fact that they've infiltrated this camp twice now. First Ethan, now Juliet._ But if Juliet really did expose what Ben had planned to do for the purpose of stopping him, was she really one of them?

She tossed and turned all night, trying to figure it all out.

* * *

The next morning, Violet noticed a group of survivors crowding around Jack and Juliet. They looked like they were ready to go somewhere. She found a place next to Claire and Charlie and looked to them for answers.

"Jack says he has a plan." Claire said pessimistically, clinging to Aaron tightly. No doubt Claire was feeling nervous about the Others coming back to take the pregnant women. After all, Kate said they had wanted Claire's baby for research. What if they were coming back for Aaron too? Violet tried not to to think about it.

"A plan? What kind of plan?" She asked.

"Dunno, but I think it involves her." Charlie pointed past Hurley, and Violet saw that Danielle Rousseau was waiting on Jack, with her large rifle ready to go. Violet sighed, wondering why she was here.

"Apparently, Jack has a plan, and he's taking us out to show us what it is." Claire said. Violet puckered her brow.

"Taking us where?" She wanted to know.

"Dunno, but _she's_ coming with us." Charlie pointed to Juliet, who was talking with Jack. Violet sighed.

"What do you think her deal is anyway?" Violet asked suddenly. Charlie only shrugged as Jack nodded toward the group, and set off, with the rest of the group following close behind. Violet looked up ahead, and saw Kate trailing behind Jack and Juliet, with Sawyer right behind her. She wondered how Kate and Sawyer must be feeling right now too. Juliet had said something about getting a sample from Kate. That meant Kate could be pregnant, which meant the baby would most definitely be Sawyer's. What kind of tension was that causing? They weren't exactly speaking to each other either. Violet shook her head. Why couldn't life just be simple?

* * *

The trek wasn't very long, they were probably only walking for about a half an hour or so, when up ahead, Rousseau, who was apparently leading the camp, stopped in a clearing. The rest of the group stopped too, looking to Jack for some kind of an explanation. Violet noticed the different expressions on everyone's faces. Some looked to Jack out of trust, looking to their leader for a plan to once again save them from the Others. Some looked to him with raised eyebrows, unsure whether he was the same man he had been before he had been taken by the Others. Some looked to him, rolling their eyes, obviously doubting whether or not he could deliver them from the Others. Violet felt unsure herself, not because she didn't trust Jack, but because she knew what Ben was like. He would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. And he wouldn't care if he hurt anyone in the process. _I know one thing's for sure. I'm not going to just let them take Sun and Kate or anybody else without a fight. They'll have to kill me first._

Jack turned to face the group and was met by the diversity of trust. He noticed immediately, and began to speak.

"Look, I know most of us are scared, but I have a plan. When the Others came the first time, and invaded our camp, taking Violet, and clubbing the rest of us, we had no idea they were coming. We had no way of fighting back. This time, we have the advantage. We know what Ben's plan is, and we can fight back this time." He said loudly, for the whole camp to hear. Violet crossed her arms. God, this was really happening. She felt Charlie's arm around her, trying to calm her down. Violet smiled at him.

It was silent, and Violet couldn't see what was happening over the heads in front of her, but it looked like Rousseau was squatting down with something, but she wasn't sure -

She nearly fell backwards at the piercing boom that occurred in that moment, and the ball of flame that rose from the bushes behind Jack and Juliet. Nearly everyone let out a scream, or jumped backwards. Violet struggled to catch her breath, as she, like everyone else, looked right at Jack for some kind of an explanation.

"This is what we're going to do." Jack said loudly. _Now_ he had everyone's attention. "Juliet is going to mark the tents tomorrow night, just like Ben told her too, but when they come to take the women, they won't be there. The tents will be filled with dynamite from the Black Rock." He looked to Juliet, who nodded.

"When they come tomorrow night," He breathed out confidently. "We're gonna blow them all to hell."

* * *

Back at the camp, people began to talk amongst themselves about Jack's plan, but Violet immediately noticed Jack, Juliet, Kate, Naomi and Sayid gather together near Jack's tent. Feeling like there was nothing better to do, she ran over and joined them. Jack didn't look too pleased, and he made it known as well.

"Violet, I'm sure you have something better to do." He said. Violet shook her head.

"No." She said, shooting a glance at Kate, who only looked at Jack with a nod.

"It's okay, Jack." She said. Violet stared at her with raised eyebrows. Kate turned and offered a small smile to Violet, who smiled back.

"Fine." Jack sighed, rubbing his eyes together, and facing Naomi. "Tell me again how far your boat is from this island?"

"About 80 miles." Naomi replied.

"And you can't contact the boat at all, with that phone of yours."

"No, the signal is jammed." Violet felt relieved, but when Jack began to speak again, Violet couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Okay, here's the deal. I want to get everyone off of this island, and that boat is our best chance right now. Rousseau told me we won't be able to send a distress signal of any kind, because her message, the message that's been playing on a loop for 16 years, is hogging the transmission signal. The only way Naomi's phone will ever work is if we get to that tower, and turn her message off." Jack said.

"So that's the plan then? We are going to pack everyone up and bring them to the radio tower?" Sayid asked.

"Yeah, and we'll leave tomorrow, leaving behind a couple of people to blow up the tents. I want to get our people as far away from this camp as possible if the Others are going to show up." Jack replied.

"I will stay behind." Sayid offered. "I will need to enlist the help of two more people. You are only marking three tents, yes? If there are three people hiding in the bushes at the treeline, it will only take three bullets to trigger the dynamite. But it will have to be simultaneous, because once they hear a gunshot, all hell could break loose."

Violet felt tears stinging her eyes as they continued to talk. Leave the camp? Blow it all up? Make contact with that boat?

"We'll set off early. Rousseau said it will take a little over a day to get to that tower. But she can lead us there." Jack said.

"There's only one problem." Juliet spoke up suddenly. All eyes turned to her.

"You're not going to be able to send a message to that boat because the transmission will be jammed." She sighed. "Ben's using one of the Dharma stations to jam all the signals from the island. Rousseau's message hasn't reached anyone because of this jamming, and that's why none of the radios you've found have ever worked. He doesn't want anyone communicating with the outside world."

"Do you know anything about this Dharma station?" Kate asked impatiently. Juliet sighed.

"It's called the Looking Glass." She replied.

"Where is it?" Jack asked. Juliet shook her head.

"I don't know." She replied. "Honest."

Sayid breathed out and then looked up suddenly.

"Wait." He stood up, looking at Kate. "The maps I took from the Flame Station. There was a map of a station that appeared to have electrical wiring. But I can't remember what it was called." He ran for his tent to grab the map.

Violet's mind was racing. This couldn't be happening, this could _not_ be happening. What was going to happen if they got off this island? She couldn't leave, she just _couldn't._ Why couldn't anybody else understand that?

Sayid returned moments later with a large map that he spread out on the sand, as everyone huddled around it.

"There, the Looking Glass." Juliet pointed out the label of the map. "It's an underwater station."

"It appears there is a cable that leads down to the station." He pointed on the map. "When I first found Rousseau in the jungle, I found a large cable on the beach that continued into the ocean. I bet that is it. I bet it leads to the Looking Glass station. We would just need to go down there, and flip this switch." He pointed again on the map, as he traced through some strange lines that Violet guessed were wires. "Once that button has been switched off, the transmission should no longer be jammed."

"It's not possible, though." Juliet said, dishearted. Everyone stared at her.

"Why?" Kate asked.

"Because the station is flooded. The Looking Glass was used to guide the sub back and forth, but apparently there was an accident of sorts, and the whole station is flooded." Juliet replied. Violet felt relief rising up inside of her. Maybe they really _couldn't_ get off this island. Maybe she was safe.

"Still, this cable shows it goes all the way into the station. Look here, there is a moon pool that leads up into the station. I can swim down to the station, through the moon pool and I can disable to relay switch so the transmission will no longer be blocked." Sayid said as he traced his fingers on the map. Jack shook his head quickly.

"No Sayid. It's too dangerous. It's a suicide mission, alright? There's no way you'd be able to get back above the surface without drowning." He pointed out.

"Jack, if we do not do this, we will never get off of this island. It's a chance we must take." Sayid added.

"I'll do it." Violet turned and looked up. Charlie had been standing there for a few moments now, listening to their conversation, and Violet hadn't even noticed.

"What?" Jack asked, rubbing his forehead.

"I'll do it. I'll flip the switch." Charlie replied.

"Charlie..." Kate started.

"No, really, it's no big deal, alright? I'll swim down and turn off the switch." Charlie said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"No." Jack said with a sense of finality.

"What?" Charlie asked.

"No, Charlie, you're not swimming down there, it's dangerous."

"I'm a good swimmer, alright? I'll have you know I was the junior swim champion of Northern England. I can hold my breath for four minutes. I'm the man for the job, okay? I want to help." Charlie pointed out.

"Charlie, it's stupid. It's too far down, you'll never make it out." Violet said, not sure if that were necessarily true or not, but for one thing, she didn't want Charlie to risk his life, and for another, she didn't want to risk the chance of getting off this island.

"Look, just give me a chance, alright? I can do this." Charlie tried again. Jack breathed out slowly.

"Look, there's no reason to discuss this right now. We're not leaving until tomorrow anyway." He said. Violet's heart was racing. Was Jack actually serious? Was he actually thinking about letting Charlie dive down to the depths of the ocean to turn off a jamming signal that could potential lead to their rescue?

Violet wanted nothing more than to run, just run until she was in the depths of the jungle, where she would never be found. Or rescued.

But that was when she noticed someone running up the beach from the other direction. Someone yelling, someone young, someone she had seen before. Violet swallowed hard as she stood with the rest of the survivors who stared at the stranger with fear. Violet knew there was nothing to be afraid of, though. She knew who it was.

It was Karl.

Sawyer ran forward to grab the boy and stop him from making everyone else nervous, but the kid was shouting about something. Violet followed Kate and Jack down the beach to where Sawyer had stopped him.

"It's okay, everyone. He's okay. He was in the cage next to me when I was with the Others." Sawyer explained as he stared at Karl. "What the hell are you doing here anyway?"

Karl struggled to catch his breath as he tried to get out what he was trying to say. He obviously looked to be in a panic, his wide eyes staring at Sawyer seriously.

"They're co...they're coming! They're coming!" He yelled out. Sawyer rolled his eyes.

"Yeah Bobby, we already know. They're coming tomorrow night, so tell us something we don't know." He said. Karl looked at him in surprise.

"Tomorrow? No, they're not coming tomorrow. They're coming tonight!" Karl yelled out. "They're coming right now!"


	32. A Nightmare

**Chapter Thirty-Two: A Nightmare**

Violet was convinced her heart stopped in that moment. She turned and stared at Kate with wide eyes. Kate put her hand on her shoulder to reassure her she was there, but she continued to stare at Karl.

"What?" Jack asked, stepping forward to take the lead, as always. Karl's wild eyes stopped on Jack.

"They're coming tonight, to take the women, all of them!" He shouted. Violet's stomach sank as she heard the women in the camp gasp and began talking amongst themselves anxiously.

"What do you mean, _all_ the women?" Juliet asked, stepping forward. "Ben said he was just coming for the pregnant women." Karl stared at her uncertainly, no doubt wondering what she was doing here. He shook his head, looking at the rest of the survivors.

"Don't let her fool you! She's working for them!" Karl shouted. Sawyer rolled his eyes. Juliet continued.

"Yeah Karl, they already know, but thanks. Anyway, how did you find this out?" She asked. Karl breathed out, sensing the rest of the camp looking to him for answers, so he continued, still feeling out of breath. He had, after all, just finished running to this camp to warn them.

"Alex told me. My girlfriend. She's Ben's daughter, she heard him telling his guys to get moving, to get here by nightfall. Ben didn't want to wait anymore. Since Juliet wasn't supposed to mark the tents until tomorrow night, Ben ordered them to take all the women, pregnant or not." Karl sighed. "Alex sent me. She told me to come and warn you so you could get everyone out beefore it's too late!"

Violet turned to the chatter that was happening all around her as Sawyer continued to pry information out of Karl, but Jack had immediately gathered around Sayid, Kate and Juliet.

"We're going to have to do this now!" Jack said. "We're going to need three sharp shooters to trigger the dynamite. Juliet, will you help me set up the dynamite in the three tents?" Juliet nodded immediately, and Violet noticed the expression on Kate's face. Violet could only imagine she must be thinking, _Why didn't Jack ask me?_

"I don't want to lose our chance of getting into contact with Naomi's boat, so we have to lead the group up to the radio tower, today." Jack sighed, turning to Charlie, who wasn't very far from the conversation that was taking place. "Charlie, you still up for a swim?"

Violet's stomach sank. They were doing this, they were _actually_ doing this. Sending Charlie down into the depths of the ocean to turn off the jamming signal, leaving behind three people to trigger dynamite that would blow the Others to hell, leading the rest of the group up to a radio tower to make contact with a boat that would take them off the island.

It all felt like some horrible nightmare.

"Yeah." Charlie said. "Sure am."

He sounded worried.

"Charlie, no, you don't have to do it." Violet said suddenly, turning to stare at him. Claire joined them both as well.

"You're not seriously thinking about it?" She asked. Charlie offered a version of a smile, but it didn't seem like the Charlie they knew.

Violet felt her eyes filling up with tears, as Jack turned to face the camp.

"Everyone, I need you to pack only what you need, we're going to be leaving within the hour! We're going to walk to the radio tower and make contact with Naomi's boat. Make sure you bring water." Jack nodded to Juliet and the two of them went to set up the dynamite, and Sayid headed off to find some more shooters.

Violet didn't move, _couldn't_ move. Her worst nightmare was actually happening. Kate saw it in her eyes, she knew Violet didn't want to leave the island, and now, there was a very good chance that was going to happen.

"Violet." Kate said quietly. Violet only shook her head.

"Violet." Kate tried again, putting her hand on Violet's arm. Violet pulled away instinctively.

"Don't." Was all she could say. Kate just stared at her.

"I know you're upset, Violet, but listen to me. Everything's going to be okay." She said. Violet turned on her.

"How can you say that? Okay, how can you _know_ that? Do you have _any_ idea what this means for me? Okay, my mother is dead! My sister who raised me is dead! Now my father is dead! I have no relatives, everybody is gone!" She swallowed. "If we get rescued, the first thing they're going to do when they realize who I am is put me in some kind of foster care. Do you think that's what I want? At least here I don't have to worry about any of that. I can just be..." _With you._ She stopped, not finished the sentence, but she turned away, breathing out heavily. Kate didn't really know what to say, but she remembered a promise she made to Violet the night she had been taken by the Others. Violet had been asleep, and never heard the promise, but Kate remembered it clearly now. _Seems like everywhere I go, I can't stay. Maybe it's because I'm a wanted criminal, but maybe it's more than that. Maybe I'm afraid, Violet. Afraid I'll screw it up somehow, like I've screwed up everything else in my life. Whatever my problem is, I'm not going to leave you. Whatever happens, even if we're rescued, I promise you right now, I'll figure something out._

"Violet-" Kate tried.

"I just need to be alone right now, okay?" Violet asked, and without waiting for Kate to respond, she ran off down the beach toward their tent. Kate thought about following, but she held back instead. God, when Kate made that promise, she hadn't thought rescue was an actual possibility then, and now, it was really happening. Kate sighed when she thought about it. _How is that going to work? I'm a wanted criminal. No judge in the county would let me look after a teenager. Hell, they would throw me in jail._ Kate thought about just taking Violet after they were rescued and bringing her on the run with her. _How fair is that? She can't miss out on school, on a normal life._

Kate sighed, pressing her hands against her head. _But I can't just let her..._Kate wasn't really sure what she was thinking anymore.

* * *

Violet walked past where Jack and Juliet were carefully placing dynamite inside of Sun's tent. Sun and Jin were a short distance away, seemingly arguing in Korean. Violet's gaze lingered for a moment, but then she stopped where Jack was talking to Sayid, who had just approached them as well.

"I have found our three shooters. Jin and Bernard are going to stay behind with me. We will hide in the treeline and when the Others approach the tents, we will shoot the dynamite and cause the explosions." He explained. Violet realized that was probably why Sun was arguing with Jin. She was probably trying to convince him not to stay behind.

Jack stared at Sayid and shook his head.

"Sayid, tell one of them they aren't doing it. I'm the third shooter, alright?" He asked.

"No, Jack, you are not. These people trust you as their leader, so you will have to lead them to the radio tower. That is your job. I will stay here and do what I can with Jin and Bernard." Sayid replied.

"Sayid, I-"

"Jack, I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. These people need someone to lead them. You have been leading them all this time. You can't quit on them now." Sayid's word was final, and Jack hesitantly accepted it.

As the two men continued to talk, Violet turned and noticed Juliet looking up at her. Juliet stood and approached her quietly as Sayid and Jack continued to make their plans.

"Are you alright?" Juliet asked. Violet stared at her, still not sure how she felt about Juliet. Violet simply exhaled slowly, and looked away. Juliet smiled sympathetically.

"I know you don't want to leave this island, Violet." She said. Violet shook her head.

"You don't know anything about me." She replied. _Except for anything and everything._

"Well, it makes sense to me. You have no living relatives, which makes you a ward of the state, if we're rescued." Juliet said. Violet rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks" She said bitterly, as she walked away. God, as if she didn't already know what would happen to her. _She was just being polite._ She thought to herself later. She pushed the thought aside when she saw Charlie and Claire talking not far off down the beach.

Violet approached them slowly, not wanting to interrupt, but when Charlie nodded his head at Violet, she joined in comfortably.

"Claire, don't worry about me, okay?" Charlie asked, as he held Claire's hand. Violet's heart skipped a beat, as she saw Desmond by the shoreline with the canoe Karl had used to come. _Oh my -_ Violet swallowed. _He's leaving now._

"It's dangerous, though, isn't it? I mean, what if something happens to you?" Claire asked, holding Aaron close for comfort.

"Charlie, you shouldn't do this. Claire's right, it's dangerous! It's at the bottom of the ocean. What if-" Violet couldn't even finish the sentence. Too much was going on, she lost it. Tears clouded her vision as she looked away.

"Look, I'll be with you all at the radio tower in no time. And hey, both of you." He looked at Violet too. "While I'm gone, don't worry about me."

"Yeah right, Charlie." Violet replied, wiping away a tear. Charlie collected her in his arms and pulled her close. Charlie had hugged her before, but not like this. Violet felt more tears in her eyes as she held on to Charlie, wishing she never had to let him go. Her whole life was changing right in front of her, everyone that was a part of her life now were putting themselves in danger. She couldn't handle it.

"Please don't go, Charlie." Violet said under her breath. Charlie let go and moved a piece of hair out of Violet's face.

"I'll be back before you know it, kiddo." He winked at her, before turning to Claire.

"Be careful, Charlie, okay?" Claire asked. She wasn't crying, but Claire wasn't one to cry very often. Violet could tell she was upset, though. Charlie only nodded, staring at Claire for quite some time before he leaned in and kissed her. Violet looked away, feeling awkward being a part of this personal moment. Claire smiled when Charlie moved away, and she hugged him tight.

"Take care of yourself, Claire. And Aaron too." Charlie said, as he held on to Aaron's little hand. Claire only nodded with a half-hearted smile. Without another word, Charlie looked from Claire to Violet, and turned, walking away from them toward Desmond who was waiting with the boat.

Violet watched as Charlie turned one last time to wave. Claire and Violet waved back. _I'll be with you all at the radio tower in no time._ Charlie had said. Violet sighed. _I hope so, Charlie._ _I hope so._


	33. Heading Out

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Heading Out**

Almost an hour had passed, and Violet was throwing things in her bag as she knelt outside her tent. Anger and fear was bubbling inside of her as she grabbed what she thought she'd need. She looked up to see everyone doing the same thing. Packing their bags. The scene was too real for her to make sense of. The reality of the situation weighed down on her. Sun clung to her husband with tears in her eyes as she desperately tried to convince him not to stay behind with the shooters. Rose was pointing a finger at her husband, Bernard, who was the second shooter. She was, no doubt, lecturing him, but there was still a hug to be shared between the two. Jack and Juliet were talking with Rousseau, while Sayid double checked his rifle. Charlie and Desmond were already gone, and Claire had Aaron wrapped in a little carry-on bundle she made for him.

Violet stuffed the last of her things in her small backpack and zipped it up, pinching her finger as she did.

"Ow!" She yelled out, as she swore. She sucked on her finger, which was bleeding a little as Kate joined her, already having finished her packing.

"What happened?" Kate asked as she knelt down next to Violet. Violet breathed out slowly as she pulled her finger out of her mouth. The bleeding had stopped.

"Nothing, I just pinched my finger." She said quietly, trying not to explode inside. Kate was silent as she noticed Violet's bag all zipped up.

"You're ready to go?" She asked. Violet turned and stared at her, before she shook her head.

"No!" She snapped. "I don't want to go." She stood up and turned to leave, but Kate jumped up and took a hold of her arm, pulling her back.

"Violet, stop, you don't have to deal with this alone. Stop running off." Kate said. Violet pulled her arm free, as tears were threatening to spill. She stared at Kate with the most confident face she could muster.

"I want to stay behind." She said simply. Kate raised an eyebrow.

"What?" She asked.

"With the shooters. I want to stay with Sayid, Jin and Bernard." She replied bluntly. Kate shook her head with a bit of a laugh.

"No way!" Was all she said. Violet stared at her defiantly.

"Why not?" She asked. Kate looked surprised as she looked at Violet, who was completely serious.

"Do you really want to put yourself in that kind of danger, Violet? A group of the Others are coming to this camp with the intent of taking all of the women. You realize that means there would be quite a few of them, right? Do you want them to take you again?" Kate asked. Violet swallowed, looking away.

"If it means not having to leave the island..."

"Violet."

"Seriously, Kate, how many times do I have to say it? I _don't_ want to leave this island! There's nothing for me off of this island anymore! If Naomi gets in contact with her boat, that's it." Violet said quietly, tears starting to form. Kate knew Violet was trying to be strong, but that this had been Violet's biggest fear since her first day on this island.

Kate looked at her sympathetically, trying to know what to say to the girl. What _could_ she say? She didn't want to make empty promises. She didn't want to try and convince Violet that things would be fine, when she wasn't so sure herself. She didn't want to make up a lie to make her feel better.

Finally, she just took a hold of Violet's arm and held it. She offered a small smile.

"I can't tell you how things are going to turn out, because I don't know. I know that boat is our only chance of getting off of this island, and so we have to try it. But listen to me, Violet. I promise you, that if we get off this island, you won't be alone. I know you don't want to go into foster homes, and I don't blame you. I can't promise you anything specific, but I promise you that I will help you in any way I can to make sure you don't end up alone. Okay? I'm not going to just let you go." Kate said as calmly as she could muster. She knew it wasn't much, but it was truth. Anything she could do to keep Violet from being forced into something she didn't want, she would do.

Violet only stared at the sand, a single tear rolling down the side of her cheek. She briskly wiped it away, ashamed for letting it show. Kate pulled Violet into a hug and held her close. Without realizing what she was saying, she whispered into Violet's ear.

"I'm not gonna let you go without a fight." She said. "I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

The survivors, with their bags and bottles of water handy, were all in a line, ready to follow Rousseau and Jack down the beach in a few moments. Violet kept her head down mostly as she stood near the back, away from everyone. She peered back to see Sun kissing her husband, with tears in her eyes. She saw Rose seeming to still be lecturing Bernard. Then there was Sayid. He stood alone, watching the group that would be leaving soon. Violet turned to see it would still be a few moments before they began their trek to the radio tower, so she ran over to Sayid, who looked at her curiously.

"What are you doing, I think they are getting ready to leave. You do not want to be left behind." Sayid said. _God, if only you knew._ Violet thought. She cleared her throat.

"So...you're staying behind to shoot the dynamite?" She asked. Sayid nodded. Violet shuffled her feet slightly.

"What if...what if it doesn't work? You know, what if they catch you? What if..." She didn't know why she was bringing this up. She really didn't, but Sayid breathed out slowly.

"This will work, Violet. I will do everything I can to make sure the group makes it up to the radio tower to get into contact with Naomi's boat. It is important you all get off of this island." He said confidently. Violet shook her head.

"But what about you?" She asked. Sayid shrugged.

"We cannot predict the future. We can only know what is right now." He replied, the two of them both knowing there was a chance the three shooters wouldn't make it. It scared Violet to think there could be more deaths before the night was over. And they would never even know.

She swallowed hard.

"Sayid?" She paused. "If...if Vincent comes back, while you're here, I mean, if I don't come back here...will you...?" She didn't really know how to finish the question. The thought of leaving the island without Vincent made her fears about leaving even worse. She couldn't just leave Walt's dog, his best friend out here all alone. Why the hell hadn't Vincent come back? Where was he?

"I will make sure he is safe, don't worry Violet." Sayid assured her. Violet nodded, breathing out slowly.

"Do you think...do you think I'll ever see you again? I mean...I hope you get to the radio tower, but, in case..." She didn't know what to say, she didn't. _Why did I come over here? I'm just making things worse._

"I don't know, Violet, but if not, it was a pleasure to have made your acquaintance." Sayid reached for her hand, pulled it up and kissed it gently. "If our paths do not cross again, I wish you good luck in everything you do." Sayid smiled. Violet tried to smile, but it was difficult. The reality of the situation kept weighing down on her like a heavy set of bricks.

Sayid suddenly looked up and turned back to Violet.

"They are leaving now. You have to go." Sayid said.

Part of Violet wanted to act like a child, cling to Sayid, and refuse to let go because she didn't want to go with the rest of the survivors. But she knew she was past that. She had to be brave and go. Sayid was right. _We cannot predict the future. We can only know what is right now._

It didn't make it any easier though.

Violet turned from Sayid and followed the survivors down the beach. Rose and Sun caught up to the tail end of the crowd as well, both with tears in their eyes, as they occassionally looked back at their husbands, who waved with reassuring smiles. Violet felt a little bit better, and even grateful, when Sayid did the same for her.

* * *

_"Katie, what are they doing? Katie!" 8-year-old Violet asked as they stood in the middle of the cemetary. Only a few people were present now, not as many as there were at the funeral, but Violet couldn't understand what was happening in front of her. The same minister from the funeral was talking again, as the casket was slowly lowered into a hole in the ground. Violet pulled on Katie's hand, trying to understand what was happening, but nobody was telling her anything. Katie was just crying and not paying any attention to Violet's questions._

_It didn't make any sense. Earlier at the funeral, her mommy was laying in a box just like this at the front of the church, but no matter how hard Katie had tried to explain to Violet that even though she could _see_ mommy, she wasn't really there anymore, that she was gone, Violet didn't completely get it._

_What if this was the same box? What if her mommy was in this box? Why were they putting it in the ground?_

_Violet tugged harder on Katie's hand, not able to understand how Katie couldn't see the emergency of the situation. Were they really going to stick her mommy in a box, and bury it? They couldn't do that!_

_"Katie!" Violet finally said loudly as she tugged Katie's hand hard. Katie finally looked down at Violet, her cheeks red and her eyes puffy. _

_"What, Violet?" She asked in a whisper as she bent down. The minister was still talking, and Violet could sense that Katie was trying to listen to him, but this was too important._

_"Is...is mommy in there?" She asked quietly as she pointed nervously to the casket that was now in the hole in the ground. Katie nodded with tears in her eyes._

_"Yeah Violet, her body is. Remember what I told you?" She asked. Violet didn't, not then. Her heart was pounding wildly against her chest as she stared at the casket. She pictured her mother inside, sleeping soundly, and waking up to find herself trapped in a small box, six feet under a mound of dirt, and being trapped there forever. Violet felt like she was going to be sick. She had to do something!_

_The minister finished with a prayer, and people slowly began to leave the burial sight. Violet stared at the casket as people began to shovel dirt on top. She stared, frozen in time, reality hitting her. This wasn't right!_

_"Come on, Violet." Violet felt Katie tugging on her hand, pulling Violet away. Violet took a few steps with Katie until she snapped out of her daze. No! This wasn't right!_

_"No!" Violet screamed, as she pulled free of Katie's grasp, and ran back to edge of the hole in the ground. She fell to her knees and reached down, as far as her little arm could go._

_"Mommy! Wake up! You wouldn't believe what they're doing! You have to get out now! Mommy, can't you hear me?" Violet cried as she pictured her beautiful mother sleeping soundly, and not able to hear her because of this stupid box she was in._

_She cried, and yelled and she barely heard Katie approach her from behind, offering an apology to the minister. Then Violet felt Katie's hands around her middle, pulling her up._

_"Violet, stop it. We have to go!" Katie said a little sternly. Violet's tears clouded her vision as she tried to fight Katie's grasp. Why was Katie trying to stop her? Did Katie want this to happen?_

_"Katie, let me go! They can't do this! She'll never be able to get out!" Violet cried. Katie pulled her away a little further, and then turned her to face her._

_"Violet, listen to me! She's not coming out, alright sweetie? I know it's hard for you to understand, but...she's gone. She's dead. She's not going to come out." Katie said with tears streaking her face. Violet could hardly breathe as her gaze continued to linger on the men who were still piling dirt on top of the casket. She heard what Katie said, but she didn't want it to be real._

_She let Katie take her hand and lead her away, but all she wanted to do was run away, jump in the hole in the ground, open the box, and go wherever her mommy had gone._

* * *

Numbness was setting in as Violet continued to walk through the jungle with the rest of the survivors. She hardly ever looked up from the ground as they walked further and further from the beach. She didn't take any notice of her surroundings, but knew they had already been walking for hours. She knew by the positioning of the sun in the sky. After being on an island without a watch for so long, the sun became her only source of figuring out time.

The silence was broken when she heard Jack shout something over the group.

"We're going to stop here for about half an hour. There's a stream just through the bushes here. You can fill up your water bottles if you need to." He yelled, as he took off his own backpack.

Violet was surprised she didn't even feel tired, or thirsty. She hadn't taken a single sip of water at all, and as she took her first sip from her water bottle, she guzzled the whole bottle in seconds. Feeling refreshed, she hiked down to the stream to refill it. She turned to see Claire struggling to fill her own bottle, as she tried to hold Aaron at the same time. Violet dropped her stuff, and walked over to Claire.

"Want me to hold him?" She asked quietly. Claire looked up, grateful.

"Oh, that'd be great, thanks Violet." She said, as she carefully placed the little boy in Violet's arms. God, when did he get so big? Violet smiled at Aaron, as Claire filled up a few water bottles. Both were silent. Violet knew they were both thinking about Charlie. By now, he must have found his way to the bottom of the ocean to find that station. Did he make it out okay?

Neither of them actually talked about it.

Violet gave Aaron back to Claire when she was finished, and she went back to her own stuff. She dipped her hands in the water and splashed some on the back of her neck, cooling her down a little bit. She found she was alone by this part of the stream. It was a large stream, and people were spread out pretty widely. Violet was thankful. She didn't really want to talk to anybody. She knew everybody was excited about the possibility of getting off of this island, and she didn't want to hear it. She was happy just to keep to herself.

Unfortunately, it didn't happen that way. She soon another reflection hovering over her own in the stream, and she knew somebody was standing behind her. Violet didn't even turn around though. Maybe if she acted like she didn't notice, they would go away. No such luck. The person came and knelt down beside her, dipping her own water bottle into the stream. Violet turned and saw Juliet concentrating on filling up her own water bottle. Violet looked away. Good, maybe she would just fill up the water bottle and leave. Again, Violet found herself on the unlucky side.

"Are you getting enough to drink?" Juliet asked, as she looked at Violet's full water bottle. Violet simply nodded. Maybe Juliet would notice she didn't want to talk, but Juliet pressed on.

"How are you holding up?" She asked, as she arranged herself to sit cross-legged. Violet sighed. She wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon.

"Didn't we already talk about this?" Violet asked coldly.

"You didn't really say much." Juliet pointed out. "Look, I understand where you're coming from, I-"

"You do, huh? No, you don't! _None_ of you do!" Violet jumped up to her feet. Juliet stood too, slowly, staring at Violet sadly. "Stop acting like you understand what this is like for me? Nobody gets it, okay? _Every_ single person here wants to leave! _Everybody_ has something to go back to, to go back for! Family, friends, a job, a life, whatever! But me? No! Nothing! So stop pretending like you get it! Because you don't! None of you do!" Violet screamed out. Juliet didn't say a word as Violet wanted nothing more than to lunge at Juliet, and punch her. It wasn't Juliet's fault, it really wasn't. The tension and rage filling Violet was too much, and she was hardly even aware of Kate and Jack running up to the two of them standing by the stream.

"What's going on?" Jack asked, staring at Violet mostly, who was still fuming. Her breathing was laboured and her body was trembling.

"What's going on? Nobody gets it, nobody understands! They think this whole thing is just so terrific! God, let's just ignore the one little discrepency who doesn't want to leave the island! Who cares what she thinks, she doesn't know what's good for her anyway! What else is new?" She screamed. She wasn't holding anything back now. Why the hell should she?

"Violet, it's okay." Jack said quietly, taking a step forward. Violet stepped back quickly.

"Stop trying to tell me that it's okay! It's _not_ okay! Stop trying to tell me that somehow things are going to be okay, because they aren't! Just stop it!" She shrieked. Hot tears burned in her eyes, as Kate gently took her by the arm.

"Come on, Violet, let's just go for a walk, okay?" She wasn't exactly asking, as she pulled Violet away. Surprisingly, Violet didn't pull away, but Kate had to pull her away from the stream, and down the path a little bit. Jack breathed out and looked at Juliet inquisitively.

"What did you say to her?" He asked, feeling somewhat surprised at Violet's outburst. Sure there were times when Violet got upset, but Jack had never seen her lose it like that before. Something wasn't right.

"Nothing, Jack, she's just upset, because she doesn't want to leave the island. If we get rescued, she'll be placed in foster care. Jack, I know all of this because I had her file. She has no living relatives." Juliet paused. "I think she's been keeping a lot of it to herself, and she just couldn't take it anymore, so she lashed out." Jack breathed out as he turned to see Kate kneeling in front of Violet, who was sitting down by a tree now, drinking from a water bottle. She seemed to have calmed down a little bit, as she seemed to be listening to something Kate was saying. Jack shook his head.

He hoped she would be alright, but his plan didn't change. Whether she wanted to leave the island or not, he planned to continue to trek toward the radio tower, get in contact with Naomi's boat and get everyone off of this island. It was too dangerous otherwise.

And if he had to, he would drag Violet off of this island by force, because he wasn't leaving anyone behind.

* * *

The trek continued onward for several more hours, and now Violet was beginning to feel the exhaustion hit her. It was dark now as they were trekking up a large hill. Violet wanted nothing more than to sleep. Her outburst earlier had taken a lot out of her, but thankfully, Kate had been able to calm her down. Kate had told her to stay away from Juliet, obviously that wasn't helping. Violet knew it wasn't Juliet who had ticked her off though. Anybody who had been in that same situation would have received the same reaction.

Violet sighed when she reached the top of the hill. Why had everyone stopped? _Oh please God, tell me we're stopping for the night._

But she saw that people were looking down, over the tops of the trees. Violet had to push past a few people to be able to see what everyone was looking at. At first she didn't understand why people looked fearful, but then she saw it. Off in the distance, from the direction of their beach camp, there were two pillars of black smoke rising into the sky. Her stomach sank, and Rose verbalized what everyone was thinking.

"Two! There were only _two_ explosions! There was supposed to be three!" She said, her voice shaking slightly. Kate shook her head.

"Oh God, it didn't work, Jack." She said, turning to him. Violet could hear panic beginning throughout the crowd, but Jack immediately turned to face them before it got out of hand.

"Everything is fine, okay? Just because we can't see three explosions, doesn't mean our plan didn't work. They probably didn't need to detonate the last of the dynamite. Maybe there wasn't that many of them infiltrating the camp!" He tried. Sun stepped forward.

"Then we should stay here. We should wait until Sayid, Bernard and Jin come to meet us." She said. Jack shook his head.

"We can't. We have to keep moving. They'll meet up with us at the radio tower." He said, as he took one more look at the smoke pillars, and continued on.

Violet's heart was racing as she peered over to see both Sun and Rose in tears as they clung to each other and stare at the two black pillars in the distance. Violet knew they must be thinking their husbands were in trouble. Violet felt the same thing as she finally tore her eyes away from the smoke. What had happened? Maybe Jack was right. Maybe they hadn't needed to detonate the last of the dynamite, but what if he wasn't right?

Violet followed the group into the darkness, her mind racing with anxious thoughts about Jin, Bernard, Sayid, and Charlie. Had they all lost their lives just for a chance to get everyone off of this island?

Violet felt sick just thinking about it.


	34. Encounters

**Chapter Thirty-Four: Encounters**

Violet's feet were beginning to feel numb. They had been walking for most of the night, and Violet had been eternally grateful when Jack finally announced they could rest for a few hours, get a bit of sleep. But he didn't want to stop long. Violet heard him talking to Kate. If Jin, Bernard and Sayid really had been caught by the Others, then the explosions hadn't killed all of them, and who was to say the Others weren't tracking them and hot on their trail already?

Violet didn't sleep a wink.

Still, she was grateful for the rest, but even now, as they were into the next day, the sun was beating down on her, sweat was running down her back and her feet were throbbing. There were times she forgot where they were going, until she saw Naomi pulling out her satellite phone to check for a signal. Violet sighed, and began walking slower.

Violet wasn't one who prayed very often, despite being raised in the church and raised to live a Godly life by her mother, but as she walked through the valley, following the rest of the group, she found herself praying to God for the safety of Charlie, Sayid, Bernard and Jin. How many people had they lost already on this island? So many, including her big sister. Most of the others who died, Violet hadn't known very well, not that it made it any easier to see people being buried nearly every week, but this was different. Charlie was her friend. Sayid was her friend. If they were dead...

She couldn't think about it. They weren't dead. Charlie said he was the junior swim champion of Northern England, and could hold his breath for four minutes. She had to have faith that he would be okay. And Sayid, he was a trained soldier. He wouldn't get caught by the Others, and he would definitely protect Jin and Bernard. No, they were fine, they were _all_ fine.

Still, she prayed.

Jack and Juliet were walking together for most of the trip, and Kate followed behind, watching them the whole time. Violet shook her head. Kate had no reason to be jealous. Yes, Jack trusted Juliet, but that was all. There wasn't anything else going on. Besides, Violet _still_ couldn't figure out why Kate was jealous. Wasn't she with Sawyer? They had slept together, hadn't they? Or was that something different? _I wish Katie were still alive, she'd explain it to me._

Most of the trek was silent, nobody said much of anything. Rose, Sun and Claire kept together mostly, three women hoping and praying their men were alright. Aaron was screaming most of the time, he was probably hot, and Violet was grateful when Sun would take Aaron for a little while. It had to be hard on Claire to carry a baby for so long without a break. Jack was hardcore, he wasn't willing to slow down.

It wasn't until they were halfway up a small hill when the silence was broken and Sawyer's voice penetrated the quiet. Everyone close to him turned to face him.

"I'm going back!" He stated, as he tried to catch his breath. Most of the people continued following Rousseau when they saw that Jack had turned and walked down the way to talk to him. They knew Jack would handle it. Kate and Juliet were right behind him. Violet stopped too as Jack raised an eyebrow at Sawyer.

"I'm sorry?" He asked.

"I said, I'm going back to the beach." Sawyer lowered his voice. "If Sayid, Bernard and Jin really are in..." He peered over at Violet. "T-R-O-U-B-L-E." He spelled. Violet rolled her eyes.

"Are you actually serious? I'm not two!" She yelled out.

"Whatever, look doc, you saw there were only two explosions. You're right, maybe they really are okay, but maybe they're not, and if they're not, we can't just leave 'em there. I'm going back." Sawyer said. Jack breathed out and shook his head.

"No, Sawyer, you're not going. It's too dangerous." He said.

"I ain't asking permission, doc. Look, you be the hero, lead the troops up the radio tower, but I'm going back. And you ain't gonna stop me." Sawyer replied.

Violet watched Jack, who didn't really argue anymore. Everyone on the beach knew better than to argue with Sawyer. He would always have his own way, he didn't take orders from anyone. Jack finally gave a small nod of approval, even though Violet knew he hardly approved.

"If you're going, I'm coming with you." Kate said suddenly, walking up to Sawyer. Violet felt her heart skip a beat. The only thing that was keeping Violet sane was Kate there to talk her through most of this. Damn her, if she thought she was going to go back to the beach with Sawyer and leave Violet here. Damn her, if she thought Violet was just going to behave like a good little girl and stay with Jack. She would follow her secretly, if she had to.

"No! You ain't coming with me Freckles." Sawyer said authoritatively as he glared at her levelly. Kate looked hurt, as she stared back at him with as much defiance as she could.

"Why the hell not, James?" She asked. Violet puckered her brow. _James?_ She didn't bother asking.

"Because," Saywer paused, and then raised his voice. "Because I don't want you to!"

Violet knew there was more to that than was being said. There was something going on with Sawyer, and Kate knew it too, but still, she didn't fight back. That was that. Sawyer was going, and Kate wasn't.

As Kate turned to walk ahead, without giving Sawyer another look, Juliet stepped forward.

"I'll go." She said. Jack turned around quickly and took hold of her arm.

"No, you won't." He said sternly. Juliet looked at him for a moment, never pulling away from him. Kate and Violet looked on, as did Sawyer. Juliet looked over at Sawyer and then back at Jack.

"Jack, I know where there are guns. My people hid them in a cache not far from here. Sawyer can't go back to the beach without a weapon, and only I know where they are." She said.

"Well, you could just tell me where they are." Sawyer said sarcastically. Juliet shook her head.

"It's too complicated, I have to go." Juliet looked back at Jack with raised eyebrows. Jack was backed into a corner, and he knew it. If he let Sawyer go by himself, he was letting him walk into a potential deathtrap, but if Juliet went, there would be some level of safety. At least they would be armed. Jack finally nodded. Sawyer, rolling his eyes, turned and began to walk in the opposite direction, back toward the beach. Kate watched after him, looking hurt and confused all at the same time, as she looked back to the conversation Jack and Juliet were having.

Jack stared at Juliet with serious eyes.

"Don't do anything stupid." He ordered. Juliet offered a small smile.

"I won't if you won't." She said calmly. Violet rolled her eyes as she walked forward a little to join Kate, but as she looked back one last time, she felt her stomach drop, and could only imagine what Kate was feeling.

Because Juliet was kissing him. Juliet had kissed _Jack._ Violet only stared, and when she turned, she saw Kate looking at them with a sense of defeat on her face. Emotionless, she turned away and began walking forward to catch up with the group. Violet couldn't tear herself away as she watched Juliet turn to catch up with Sawyer, smiling.

"Don't wait up." She said simply, leaving Jack rooted to the ground for the longest time. Violet hurried to catch up with Kate. She didn't want to look at Jack. It wasn't because he kissed Juliet, because Violet still trusted her, despite everything that had happened. She was angry at him because he didn't kiss Kate. It didn't take a genius to know that Kate had feelings for Jack, whether she was sleeping with Sawyer or not. Even though Violet would never understand the triangle, she knew how Kate felt about Jack, and how much it must have hurt her to see him kissing Juliet. Kate didn't have strong feelings toward Juliet either, so it must have been a double blow.

Violet didn't say anything to Kate, she didn't feel it was her place to say anything. She was, after all, only 14 years old. What the hell did she know about love?

* * *

Violet walked with Claire, Sun, and Rose for a while longer, until Jack finally said they could take another break. Sawyer and Juliet had left about a few hours ago now, and they hadn't had a break since. Violet sat down with Claire, while Sun and Rose went to get some water.

"I wonder if he was able to, you know, unjam the frequency." Claire said suddenly, as she let Aaron clutch her pinky finger tightly. Violet knew she was talking about Charlie. Violet shrugged.

"I don't know. Hopefully." She lied. Yes, she wanted Charlie to succeed in _surviving_ but not in unjamming the frequencies. Best case scenario in her mind was that Charlie got down to the Looking Glass station, saw that there was no way to unjam the frequency, and swam back to shore, and was now on his way to the radio tower to tell everyone there was no way off of this island. Violet smiled to herself, wishing it could be truth.

"I didn't even know Charlie could swim." Claire said reluctantly. Violet sighed. Neither did she.

"I'll be right back." Violet said suddenly as she took her empty water bottle and headed for the stream. She saw Kate sitting on the bank, filling up her water bottle not far from where she was. Kate turned and offered Violet a small reassuring smile. Violet smiled back. She didn't feel like it, but maybe Kate needed a bit of reassurance too. She had, after all, been rejected by Sawyer and Jack all in the same day, just in different ways.

Violet bent down to fill her water bottle when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jack approaching Kate. Violet pretended she wasn't listening, but she paid attention to every word that was said.

"He didn't mean it, you know." Jack said suddenly. Kate looked up and puckered her brow.

"What?" She asked.

"Sawyer. He didn't mean what he said. When he said he didn't want you to go with him." Jack paused. "He was probably just trying to protect you." There was a pause, before Kate spoke.

"Why are you telling me this, Jack?" She asked. "Why are you defending Sawyer? He'd never do it for you."

An uncomfortable silence passed, and Violet finally looked up to see Jack struggling with what he was about to say. But then he got it out.

"Because I love you."

Violet swallowed.

Kate smiled.

Jack walked away.

Violet breathed out through her mouth as she picked up her water bottle and walked away. Maybe it was because she was only 14. Maybe it was because she still hadn't had her first real boyfriend. Maybe it was because she was just plain stupid, but whatever was going on, she didn't understand any of it.

Soon, they continued toward the radio tower, with fresh water by their sides. Half an hour after they left the stream, Violet's face paled as she stopped dead. Her stomach churned and her heart skipped a beat as she realized what was happening.

They were going to the radio tower, she knew that.

If they got into contact with the freighter, they would get off the island, she knew that.

If they were rescued, they would leave everything behind, she knew that.

Including Katie.

She forgot about that.

"Violet, what's wrong?" Kate asked suddenly as she ran to Violet's side. Violet stared at her wide-eyed as tears began to flood her eyes.

"What if..." She swallowed. "What if we're rescued...?" Kate looked at her, and puckered her brow.

"Violet, I-"

"I can't leave her here, Kate, I can't!" Violet yelled out. Kate stopped, and then realized what was going on. Violet didn't want to leave her sister, even though she was dead.

"Violet." Kate said, unsure of what else to say. "It's gonna be okay, I promise."

"I don't want to leave her here." Violet swallowed more, but the tears still flowed easily. "I don't want to leave at all."

Kate pulled her into a hug and held her. She couldn't imagine how hard this was. The girl had lost her mother at a young age, lost her sister on this island, and apparently lost the man who was her father. Kate still wasn't sure what to make of that, even though Violet told her she had seen the death certificate with her own eyes. Kate didn't put anything past the Others, and it would certainly not be hard for them to forge a death certificate.

Despite that, Violet believed she was all alone, and that alone was reason enough for Violet to be afraid, and upset. Kate didn't say anything, and neither did Violet. Kate just held Violet tight and let her cry.

* * *

A few more hours went by, and Violet's throat was parched with thirst. She had finished her water ages ago, but there hadn't been another stream yet. How much longer was it going to take to get to this radio tower? A part of her hoped the Others had torn the tower down, but if that were really true, Juliet would have said something. She was, after all, an Other once upon a time.

Violet couldn't stop thinking about Katie. She was buried here on the island. If they were rescued, where would she go and visit Katie? She wouldn't be able to. She would still be here, on this island. Violet imagined herself getting away when no one was looking and watching as everyone else was rescued. She would become like Rousseau, living on the island by herself, trying to keep herself safe from the Smoke Monster, and from the Others.

But then there was Kate. Violet couldn't imagine living on the island without Kate, or Jack, or Charlie, or Claire. Besides that, how many times had they saved her from trouble here? Kate, Michael and Locke had rescued her and Walt from a polar bear, Jack had been responsible for helping her, Kate and Sawyer escape from the Others, and Juliet had saved her life when she became deathly ill due to the inhalation of the fumes from the gas. Violet had to face it. She would never be able to survive on this island alone.

Violet realized, as they reached the top of a hill, that everyone had stopped. Violet puckered her brow. Why would everyone stop?

She pushed her way through the crowd to the front, where Jack and Kate were standing in front of everyone else. When she reached them, she felt Kate instinctively grab hold of her arm, and held her in place, and Violet knew exactly why she had.

Several feet in front of the group was the man she had feared since Room 16.

Ben. Ben and his daughter Alex.

Violet swallowed hard as Kate put her arm around Violet's shoulders. They were silent. Ben just stared at Jack, and Jack stared back.

"Just stay close to me, alright?" Kate whispered to Violet, who nodded whole-heartedly. She wasn't going anywhere that wasn't with Jack and Kate.

"Jack. We need to talk." Ben said calmly as he moved forward a step. Jack didn't say a word. He just stared at Ben defiantly. Alex looked confused as she looked from Ben to the group of survivors. No doubt she was looking for Karl. He had been trailing the rest of the group at the back. He wouldn't know what was going on yet. Violet couldn't help but wonder if Ben knew his own daughter had ratted him out, and that was why they were all on their way to the radio tower.

"Jack, your people just killed seven of my people. The least you can give me is five minutes." Ben said. Violet felt her heart skip a beat as she thought of those two explosions. They had all imagined the worst, but according to Ben, seven of his men had been killed. Maybe it _had_ worked. Maybe Sayid, Bernard and Jin were on their way to the radio tower. Maybe Charlie was too. Violet immediately felt hopeful.

She had always admired Jack for his bravery and for his priority to protect the group, so she knew when he finally went forward to confront Ben, that there was nothing to worry about. Still, there was a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach as Kate held on to her. This was Ben they were talking about. Whether or not she trusted Jack with her life wasn't the issue. It was Ben she didn't trust.

Kate and Violet watched as Ben and Jack disappeared into the bushes, while Alex finally reunited with her boyfriend Karl. Violet couldn't keep her eyes off of the bushes. She held her breath, wondering what was going to happen.

Time passed, she wasn't sure how much time, but Kate and Violet, as well as the rest of the survivors, had found a spot to sit on the grass while they waited. Violet kept looking behind her to see if Sayid and the others had made it yet. Nothing. She told herself not to worry. It took them a long time to get here. It would take a long time for them to catch up.

Nobody said a word, they just waited patiently. Violet noticed that Rousseau kept looking over at Alex. Could she really be Rousseau's long lost daughter? Violet sighed. She couldn't believe how messed up everything had become. How much worse was it going to get?

After what seemed like ages, Jack finally emerged from the bushes, dragging Ben out. Violet and Kate stood up immediately and Violet felt her heart in her throat when she saw that Ben was a bloody mess, and Jack looked angry. Violet's heart was hammering as Jack pushed Ben roughly to the ground. Violet looked from a semi-conscious Ben to Jack, who almost looked as though he had tears in his eyes. It must have just been sweat, because he was covered in that.

"Tie him up." Jack said suddenly, looking straight at Rousseau, who was still looking over at Alex, who had run to her father's side. "I want him tied up _now!_" Jack turned around as he paced back and forth. Violet saw Jack going off to the side a little, and Kate began to follow him. Violet began to follow them when she heard Ben's weak voice.

"Alex. This is your mother." He said weakly. Violet turned and saw as Alex stood up and stared at the woman who was her mother. Rousseau gently touched the teen's face.

Violet's eyes dropped, as memories of her own mother flooded over her. She suppressed them. Now wasn't the time.

She ran to catch up to Jack and Kate, who were out of earshot from the rest of the group. Jack looked horrible. He was pacing back and forth, and Kate had to grab a hold of his arm to stop him.

"Jack, what happened?" She asked in a panic, as she noticed his knuckles were bleeding. Kate pulled out a hankerchief and began dabbing at his sores. Jack was breathing roughly as tears flooded his eyes. Violet only watched. Kate and Jack never said a word about her being here. Things had gotten too serious to even notice, Violet knew that.

Jack swallowed as he shook his head.

"They're dead." He said simply. Violet's stomach dropped.

"What?" Kate asked.

"They're dead. Sayid, Bernard, Jin. The Others, the ones that survived the explosions, they caught them. Ben told me if I didn't turn around and go back to the beach, and forget about the radio tower, he would tell his people to kill them." Jack replied, as he cried. "I let it happen, Kate. I let them die."

Violet felt tears in her eyes, as she began to cry. Dead. They were dead. They didn't make it.

Violet lowered herself to her knees as she continued to cry. She thought of Rose, who was so worried about her husband. She thought of Sun, and the unborn baby. This wasn't fair. It wasn't _fair!_

"Jack-" Kate started to say.

"We've gotta keep moving." Jack said stubbornly, as he began to pace again. "We can't tell Sun or Rose what happened. Not yet. We've gotta keep moving."

"Jack-"

"Damn it, Kate, I promised Sayid we'd keep moving, no matter _what!_" Jack yelled out. Kate and Violet were silent as they watched him, their leader. He was broken, he was torn apart, but he was still thinking. He couldn't let the grief touch him, not yet. Violet wished she could be as brave, as strong, but the thought of three more dead just broke her heart.

Kate paused before she began to speak.

"What do you want to do with him?" She asked. Violet knew she was talking about Ben. Jack shook his head angrily.

"He's coming with us! I want him to experience the _exact_ moment we get off of this island!" He said quickly. Violet shook her head.

"Why?" She squeaked. Jack breathed out.

"Because I want him to know that he failed!" He said, and he turned to Kate. "Then, I'm gonna kill him."

Violet and Kate watched him with wide eyes as he walked past them and trekked back to where the rest of the survivors were waiting for him. Violet felt sick to her stomach as Kate came beside her and took her head. Violet felt numb as they followed Jack back. This was really happening, this was _real._ Violet didn't know what to do, what to think, what to say. Sayid, Bernard and Jin were dead, and God only knew about Charlie. And now Sawyer and Juliet were walking straight into a ring of fire.

There was no going back now, only forward.


	35. Rescue

**Chapter Thirty-Five: Rescue**

Kate held Violet back for a little while after Jack went back to deal with Ben, and calm the rest of the survivors down about their little visitor. He was not going to tell them about Sayid, Jin and Bernard. Not yet, Violet guessed he had good reason, but she could not stop crying.

"Violet, listen I know it's hard. I feel like crying too, but right now, you have to be brave! We're almost at the radio tower. They're already scared because Ben's here, but think of how much of a panic it could cause if they know what happened on the beach." Kate tried to tell Violet, who struggled so much to keep herself from shedding anymore tears, but it was so hard.

"So you want me to lie?" Violet asked, a little bitterly. Kate nodded with a bit of a shrug.

"Not exactly. Jack is going to tell them, but he wants to wait until we get to the radio tower. We have to keep moving. Especially now that Ben is here. We can't be sure if some of his people are going to come back and try to stop us now, because we have Ben. We have to keep going, and our best chance of doing that is if we just pretend like everything's okay." She explained. Violet sighed, and shook her head angrily.

"But it's _not_ okay, Kate! Three people are _dead!_ No, _more_ than that are dead! God, how many people have we lost already? What about Charlie? What if we lose him too? This isn't right, Kate, none of this is right to me! Everyone else is excited to leave this place, but I'm not. I don't need to tell you why, you already know, but I can't just _pretend_ like three people I saw day after day are still alive and okay." She cried out, scrubbing her face with the backs of her fist to dry the fresh tears. Kate shook her head, as she put a hand on Violet's shoulder.

"I'm not asking you to. I'm just asking you to keep it a secret until we get there." Kate paused. "Can you do that?"

Violet paused before she finally looked up with a sigh.

"Yeah, alright." She said quietly, as she headed back to where Jack was getting everyone ready to keep going. Kate followed not far behind her, as the two of them joined up with the rest of the survivors. Claire looked over at her curiosly, no doubt wondering why there were tears in her eyes, but Violet ignored her. She quickly tried to come up with a lie to recite if anyone asked her what was wrong.

As Jack and Rousseau began leading the way again, Violet noticed that Alex was with Karl, holding his hand and giggling with him. Ben was bound by the hands and being by a rope by Danielle, who held on tightly and intentionally. She shot him ugly glares whenever she had the chance. It was difficult to read Ben's expression, what with all the dried blood crusting on his face from when Jack beat him to a senseless pulp. Violet shivered.

Violet kept close to the front of the line of followers, sticking close to Kate, and to Jack, feeling safer this way. If she hung out near the back of the line, people would ask questions. At least this way, if she were asked any questions, Jack or Kate could jump in and cover for her. She wasn't the best liar.

Violet felt exhausted, physically and emotionally. From what Rousseau was saying, the radio tower was close. Part of her hoped they wouldn't be able to turn off Rousseau's message. Part of her hoped Charlie hadn't been able to find the switch in the Looking Glass that would turn off the jamming signals. Part of her hoped the batteries in Naomi's phone would die. This whole thing was a long shot, wasn't it? A chance of faith? What were the odds of anything actually working out in their favour? _The Flame was destroyed, and the submarine was destroyed, every piece of equipment Sayid tried to use to make contact with the outside world wouldn't work. _She swallowed. _It's almost like the island doesn't want us to leave._ She shuddered. Now she just sounded like Locke.

Violet nearly jumped out of her skin when the walkie talkie Ben had on him started making static noises, and a voice seemed to be coming through. Jack grabbed it from his pocket (he had taken it from Ben after he punched him several times) and turned the knob a couple of times, trying to make the voice come through clearer.

"Attention, Others. Hey, Others." A familiar voice rang through the frequency. Violet swallowed when she realized it was Hurley. She quickly turned around and looked for him, and realized he wasn't with them. When had he taken off? Violet hadn't even noticed.

"Hey, Others, this is a warning for you. We got you bastards good, and unless the rest of you want to be blown to smitherines, stay away from _our_ beach!" Hurley said with about as much authority as kitten. Violet smiled to herself, as she even thought she saw a small grin cross Jack's face, as he lifted the walkie up to his mouth.

"Hurley, is that you?" He asked. There was a pause.

"Jack?" Hurley asked.

"Yeah, Hurley, where are you?" Jack asked.

"Dude, I'm here on the beach with Sawyer and Juliet. We got 'em, Jack. We got the Others. All of us, we're all here." Hurley replied euphorically.

"We, what Hurley? Who's all there?" Jack asked.

"All of us, man. Sawyer, Juliet, Sayid, Jin, Bernard, everyone! I saved 'em all!" Hurley replied. Violet felt her heart leap into her throat as she grabbed Kate's arm, staring up at her wide-eyed. Kate never took her eyes off of Jack, who looked at the two of them before talking again.

"What? Jin, Sayid and Bernard are there?" He asked.

"Yeah man, everyone's alright!" Hurley replied. A cheer erupted in the crowd behind them. Everyone had heard Hurley's message, and Violet turned to see Sun and Rose embrace with tears of joy in their eyes. Violet felt tears of her own beginning. They were alive. Ben had lied about the whole thing! Violet turned and hugged Kate, and saw Jack, out of the corner of her eyes, and saw that he had tears forming in his own eyes as he turned back to the walkie talkie.

"Hurley, that's great, listen, stay at the beach, okay? We'll meet you all back there. It won't be much longer now. We're almost there." Jack said.

"Okay man, good luck." Hurley shouted back. Violet stepped forward, and looked up at Jack, who seemed to know exactly what she wanted. He lowered the walkie down to Violet.

"Hurley?" She said quietly.

"Vi, is that you?" Hurley asked. Violet smiled, with tears flooding her eyes.

"Yeah, it's me." She swallowed hard. "Is...is Charlie back yet?" She saw Claire in the corner of her eye, awaiting the answer as nervously as Violet was.

"No, he's not back yet, Violet. Don't worry, though, this is Charlie, okay? He'll be fine." Hurley replied. Violet felt her body tremble slightly as Jack took the walkie back and Violet looked over at Claire, who looked just as shaken. As Jack continued to talk to Hurley over the walkie, Violet walked over to Claire, and gave her a hug.

* * *

Jack wasn't kidding when he said they were nearly there, because another ten minutes of walking took them to the top of a hill where Violet finally saw the radio tower.

She wanted to cry.

Nobody else felt the same way. Violet could literally hear the sounds of relief all around her as they finally reached the radio tower. It was then that she heard a gasp coming from Naomi. Violet turned and saw Jack and Kate approach her as she was staring at her satellite phone. _Please God, say the batteries died._ Violet found herself thinking.

"Your mate, the one who went down to the Looking Glass, what was his name again?" Naomi asked.

"Charlie." Jack replied. Naomi looked up with a bit of a smile.

"Well Jack, Charlie's just got us rescued." She turned her phone to him and the light on her phone that had been red this whole time was now a bright shade of green. Violet swallowed hard as she thought about the situation. Charlie had found the switch. That meant he made it safely down into the Looking Glass. Now, if Rousseau and Jack could turn off Rousseau's distress call that had been playing for 16 years, they would be able to contact the boat.

Violet began to cry as she watched Jack and Rousseau enter the radio tower. Kate approached her, and just held her without a single word. Kate knew how much this was killing Violet, but she wasn't sure what to say. She was shocked herself. Too shocked for words. This was really happening.

Nothing happened for a while. Everyone had found places to sit on the ground, waiting for news, waiting for Jack to come out and tell them they had successfully turned off the looping message and they'd be able to contact Naomi's boat.

Violet bit at her knuckles nervously as she sat on the grass with Kate, who waited just as anxiously. Violet tried to imagine what it would be like if they made it onto this freighter, and back to the world. Would there be cameras? Would social services be there? Would she be able to go back to Australia, or would they take her somewhere else? Would she be able to just sneak away without anyone realizing it? So many questions plagued her mind as she waited for Jack and Rousseau.

When Jack emerged from the radio tower with Rousseau right behind her. Everyone stood up, eyes fixed on Jack, who's face was unreadable. Violet felt Kate's hand grab her own, squeezing tightly for assurance. Violet didn't feel much better. Jack looked at the crowd, and gave a small nod.

"It's off!" He called, and everyone cheered. Violet's stomach churned and churned, she thought she might throw up right then and there. All Naomi had to do now was contact her boat. If everything worked out the way it was supposed to, she should get a signal now, and that would put her into contact with her boat.

"Jack!" A voice called out suddenly and Violet's head turned to see Ben, who was now tied to the trunk of a tree. In all of the chaos of getting a signal and turning off the distress call, Violet had completely forgotten about him, but now Ben seemed frantic to get Jack's attention.

"Jack, you can't let her get into contact with that boat, I'm telling you, Jack." Violet listened curiously. Is that what Ben had been trying to tell Jack earlier? "Jack, I know you think you're saving your people, but if you contact that boat, but you aren't. It will be the biggest mistake you have ever made! It will be the beginning of the end! For all of us!"

Jack ignored him, and focused all of his attention on Naomi, who was still working hard on her phone, but Violet couldn't take her eyes off of Ben. She had never trusted this man, he had been less than truthful on so many things, and he was one of _them._ But Violet saw in his eyes fear, _pure_ fear.

Naomi played around with her phone for a few moments, and for a brief second in time, Violet thought it wouldn't work, and she almost felt relieved, but when Naomi let out another little gasp, and stared up at Jack with a small smile, Violet felt all hope slipping away.

"I've got it, I've got a signal!" She cried out. Everyone watched with eager anticipation as she tried to clear the static. But that was when it happened! That was when Naomi's body lurched forward, and with wide eyes, fell to the ground. Violet nearly screamed out as she saw the thick knife that was sticking out of her back, and John Locke, who was standing about ten feet away from her, obviously the one who had thrown the knife. Violet stared at him in disbelief, but before anyone could say anything, Jack came forward, determination and anger written all over his face.

"Locke!" He screamed out, gunning it forward toward Locke.

"I'm sorry, Jack, I had to do it." Locke said. Jack stopped.

"Why?" He asked, staring coldly at John.

Before Locke had a chance to answer, Naomi's satellite phone began to ring. Violet's heart was hammering against her chest, as Jack looked down at the phone that was now lying in the dirt next to Naomi's limp body. He bent down.

"Don't pick it up, Jack." Locke said calmly. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"What?" He asked.

"I said, don't answer it." Locke said again, as he pulled out a gun. Kate instinctively put her arm around Violet's shoulders, and Violet backed up.

Jack just stared at him, though, silent and still for a few moments as Locke held the gun up at Jack.

"John, I'm going to answer that phone." He carefully bent down and picked up the phone, as Locke released the safety on the gun.

"Jack, I'm warning you, if you answer that call, I will shoot you." Locke said. Violet turned away, as tears rolled down her cheeks. What the hell was Locke doing here? Why was he ready to shoot Jack? Who's side was he on?

Jack held the phone up to his ear, as Locke pulled the gun up again.

"Jack, don't answer it." He said again, but Jack shook his head.

"I'm sorry, John, but you're going to have to kill me to stop me." Jack said strongly.

Locke held the gun up for some time and Jack just stared at him. Violet couldn't stand to watch, but she couldn't tear her eyes away either. The two men just stood there, staring each other down, Locke holding the gun that was now trembling in his hands. He finally lowered it, shaking his head. He couldn't do it.

"Jack, please." Locke rubbed the sweat off of his forehead. "You're not supposed to do this." Jack just stared at him.

"Well, John, we _are_ doing this." Jack answered the phone.

"Hello?...Is anyone there?...Naomi?..." A voice on the other end of the satellite phone came through a little patchy, but clear all the same. Violet's heart skipped a beat as the rest of the survivors clung to each other tightly, anticipating what would happen. They were moments from rescue, they could all feel it. Violet saw Locke out of the corner of her eye, sneak back into the jungle. She so desperately wanted to do the same.

"Hello?" Jack said into the phone.

"Hello, who is this?" The other voice asked again. Violet stared at Jack's face, it was full of hope, and tears were in his eyes, and his body was trembling. Violet shook her head as she watched in terrifying anticipation.

"My name is Jack Shepherd." He swallowed, as he paused. "I'm one of the survivors of Oceanic flight 815. Can you get a fix on our location?"

A pause.

"Hell yeah we can, you sit tight, we'll be right there." The guy on the other end said eagerly.

An uproar of cheers and tears passed through the survivors, as they hugged, and cried together, and praised God, and clapped. In the midst of the happiness around her, Violet fell to her knees with tears in her eyes. They had been found. Rescue was coming. There truly was no going back now.

* * *

**Epilogue**

_Violet hadn't been sleeping very well, and often found herself lying awake in bed at night, staring at the ceiling and thinking about her past, and her present circumstances. _

_She heard the phone ring, but it wasn't the land line. It was a cell phone, but not hers. She always turned hers off at night. _

_Violet rolled out of bed quietly and listened at the door. She knew it was her cell phone that had rung, and her bedroom was down the hallway, so it was difficult to hear what she was saying. But whatever it was must have been important, because the woman left her bedroom quickly, stumbling to put on a jacket as she ran down the stairs in a hurry. _

_Out the front door she ran. Violet walked over to her window to watch the woman driving away. Violet wondered what was going on. It wasn't like her to just get up and leave like that. Not with a small toddler. Violet was more than capable of babysitting, but this was a little abupt._

_Violet left her bedroom and tiptoed down the hall. She carefully peeked in on the sleeping toddler, who hadn't so much as budged at the sound of her leaving so quickly, but Violet soon found herself entering the woman's bedroom. There she found the forgotten cell phone on her dresser. She didn't like to be nosy, but then again, it had always been Violet's nature to be nosy._

_She checked the recent calls list, and saw it. It made her heart skip a beat when she saw the caller ID, from a number that was still listed in the woman's phone directory. _

_Jack Shepherd._

_Violet closed the phone and breathed out, as she lowered herself down to sit on the bed. Why the hell was he calling? More importantly, why the hell would Kate run off in the middle of the night to see him?_

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you all for being so supportive of Violet's journey thus far. This is the end of the Season 3 edition of Violet's point of view. I'm already a few chapters into the fourth season, the fanfiction title is "The Unknown." It will probably be out in a few days. I hope you will all continue to read on. Thanks for the reviews :)


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